The Boston Red Sox have had a recent history of success with transforming former New York Yankees players. The Yankees will try to get their rivals back in 2026 by reuniting with a reliever who's played for both squads.
New York has claimed former Red Sox reliever Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Houston Astros. Ari Alexander of WHDH 7 News Boston was the first major source to report the news, but Twitter user YankeesLoss reported it first. Ort was the roster casualty after the Astros signed Japanese free agent pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
Ort, 33, is the first player the Yankees have signed this winter who wasn't on the team last season. His first stint in New York came in 2017 when it signed him to a minor league deal out of the independent Frontier League. He remained in the Yankees' minor league system until 2020, when the Red Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft.
Ort made his major league debut with Boston the following year and pitched just a third of an inning, but it was clean. He allowed a walk and a hit, but no runs. He appeared for the Sox 46 times between 2022-23 and he posted a 6.31 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 24 walks over 51.1 innings.
Yankees claim and reunite with Kaleb Ort, who struggled immensely with the Red Sox
The righty improved with the Astros, particularly in the first of his two seasons with the club. In 2024, he clocked a 2.55 ERA, a 0.811 WHIP, 26 strikeouts and four walks over 24.2 innings. Last season, he regressed, but not to his Boston self — he pitched to a 4.89 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 27 walks in 46 frames.
The Yankees have moved slowly this offseason and team owner Hal Steinbrenner has expressed a desire to cut their payroll, although he said there's no guarantee that'll happen. They're still in pursuit of Cody Bellinger and have checked in on Bo Bichette, and Ort is a cheap addition to their bullpen that keeps them financially flexible enough to make a free agent signing before Opening Day. Whether or not he'll be worth it is the real question.
Ort's history in the American League East isn't great, and Red Sox fans hope it'll stay that way. Boston would like to maintain its monopoly on successfully revamping former rivals' careers.