Yankees Claim Former Red Sox Reliever Off Waivers From Fellow AL Team
Former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Kaleb Ort is joining the New York Yankees.
The Bronx Bombers claimed the 33-year-old right-hander off waivers from the Houston Astros on Friday.
The news was first reported by 7News Boston’s Ari Alexander.
“Source: RHP Kaleb Ort has been claimed off waivers by the #Yankees,” Alexander posted on X.
“Earlier today, the Yankees claimed RHP Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Houston Astros,” the Yankees official account wrote on X.
Friday’s announcement comes less than one month after New York signed a pair of former Boston players to minor-league deals in catcher Ali Sanchez and infielder Zack Short.
Ort was originally signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent in September 2016, released by the club six months later and signed with the Yankees in May 2017.
The Red Sox then selected the Michigan native from their rivals in the 2020 rule 5 draft and he made his major-league debut in September 2021.
Ort appeared in just one game during the 2021 campaign before pitching in 25 contests out of Boston’s bullpen in 2022. Ort had 21 games pitched and made two starts for the Red Sox in 2023 and was selected off waivers by the Mariners that October.
He went 2-4 with a 6.27 ERA and 1.70 WHIP, collecting 51 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings pitched with Boston.
Ort landed with the Astros after being selected off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in May 2024.
He had his best season that year, going 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 26 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings (22 games).
Ort was 2-2 with a 4.89 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 49 strikeouts over 46 innings (49 games) out of Houston’s bullpen last season.