The Yankees are on the board this offseason.
While they have yet to make a big splash, the Bombers at least made some ripples in the kiddie pool on Friday. The Yanks claimed reliever Kaleb Ort off of waivers from the Houston Astros and have added him to their 40-man roster.
Ort spent 3 seasons with the Astros, posting a 4.89 ERA in 49 games during 2025. The 33-year-old did record a 2.25 ERA in 2024 giving some hope to the Bombers that he can be their latest bullpen find.
The veteran originally was a member of the Boston Red Sox, where he spent the first three seasons of his career from 2021-2023. The right-hander features a fastball that averages 96.4 MPH. Pitching coach Matt Blake is praised for his work with journeymen releivers and turning them into legitimate options for the Yanks. Ort could be the newest project.
While Ort is the latest and only addition to the Yanks’ 40-man roster this offseason, the big move still awaits. Cody Bellinger is still on the market as there is a widely reported difference between the two sides financially with agent Scott Boras.
If the Yanks fail to bring back Bellinger, perhaps Bo Bichette could be an option to take the Bombers’ money; however, after him, Brian Cashman will be very short on options to objectively upgrade the team that fell in the ALDS last season.
