Angels land unexpected pitching help after Yankees waiver gamble

There's a strategy that goes into almost every offseason move a front office makes. Whether fans realize it or not, designating a player for assignment is not always a death sentence. Sometimes the organization is attempting to sneak a player off the 40-man roster, through waivers, and into their minor league system. But the Los Angeles Angels just foiled the New York Yankees' attempt to do just that.

The Yankees recently picked up reliever Kaleb Ort after he was DFA'd by the Houston Astros. Ort was cut loose after the Astros signed Japanese star Tatsuya Imai and was plucked off waivers by the Yankees. But New York needed a 40-man spot after re-signing Cody Bellinger, and Ort was DFA'd once again.

But this time the Angels swooped in and claimed Ort off waivers, thus ruining any plans the Yankees might've had to stash him away in Triple-A. Of course, Los Angeles had to make a corresponding move of their own, and DFA'd outfielder Wade Meckler in order to make room for Ort on the 40-man roster.

Angels claim former Astros reliever Kaleb Ort after he was DFA'd by the Yankees

Interestingly enough, Ort wasn't just some fringe pitcher who barely recorded an out last season. He spent the entire year in the Astros bullpen and made 49 appearances. His 4.89 ERA and 5.05 FIP are not exemplary by any means, but he maintained a 25.3% strikeout rate and answered the bell when his manager made the call.

Ort has over 115 Major League appearances under his belt and a career 5.00 ERA and 5.20 FIP. Control has always eluded the right-hander, and his 13.9% walk rate in 2025 is evidence of that. His walk rate has been above 10% throughout his big league career, and could keep him from making a meaningful impact for the Halos in 2026.

But a team like the Angels can use every available arm they can get. Furthermore, with highly-acclaimed pitching coach Mike Maddux in the building now, perhaps he can find something in Ort's mechanics that other coaches have missed.

The hulking right-hander can rare back and sling it. His fastball averages over 96 mph and ranks in the 83rd percentile according to Baseball Savant. Ort is just a year removed from posting a 2.55 ERA over 22⅔ innings with Houston in 2024. The Angels are hoping he can return to that level of performance in 2026.