The Yankees’ general lack of activity this offseason has given them plenty of wiggle room on their 40-man roster.
They took advantage of that on Friday by claiming rightful reliever Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Astros.
Ort, the former Red Sox who spent the last two years in Houston, will join the mix this spring to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen. He becomes the first outside addition to the 40-man roster this offseason who has MLB experience — the only other outside addition is Rule 5 draft pick Cade Winquest, who will also participate in the bullpen competition.
Ort turns 34 next month and is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.89 ERA in 49 appearances with the Astros. He struckout 49 batters in 46 innings, but walked 27, leading to a career-high walk rate.
Some of his underlying numbers were better, with an expected ERA of 3.41 and an expected batting average of .188.
Ort was sharper in 2024, pitching to a 2.55 ERA over 22 appearances, with 26 strikeouts and four walks in 24 ⅔ innings.
At his best, Ort offers some swing-and-miss potential with a hard fastball, one that averaged 96.4 mph last season and ranked in the 83rd percentile. The four-seater reached an average speed of 150 km/h in 2024.
He also throws a sweeper, a cutter and a changeup.
#Yankees #claim #reliever #Kaleb #Ort #adds #bullpen #competition