Los Angeles Angels’ every move a front office makes during the offseason is rooted in planning, even the ones that look minor or routine on the surface. Roster management in Major League Baseball is a constant chess match, and decisions involving the 40-man roster are often far more calculated than fans initially assume.
One of the most misunderstood tools in that process is the designation for assignment. While it can look like a player is being pushed out the door, a DFA does not always signal the end of the road. In many cases, teams are gambling that a player will clear waivers so they can quietly retain him in their organization without occupying a precious roster spot.
That kind of maneuvering is common, particularly in the winter, when teams need flexibility to sign free agents, protect prospects, or complete trades. Clubs often try to slide a fringe major leaguer through waivers, hoping the rest of the league overlooks him. If that works, the team gets the best of both worlds: roster space at the big-league level and depth tucked away in the minors. But as the New York Yankees recently found out, that strategy does not always go according to plan.
The Yankees’ situation revolved around right-handed reliever Kaleb Ort, a pitcher who has quietly bounced around the league while teams try to determine whether his arm is worth a long-term spot. Ort originally landed in New York after the Houston Astros designated him for assignment.
Houston’s move came as a byproduct of a larger transaction, as the Astros needed roster space following the signing of Japanese standout Tatsuya Imai. With limited room to maneuver, Ort became expendable, and the Yankees were quick to scoop him up off waivers.
MORE: Phillies to land 2 more players before spring training
At that point, New York viewed Ort as a low-risk addition, someone who could provide bullpen depth and possibly be stashed in the minors if everything lined up correctly. However, roster pressure quickly caught up with them. The Yankees’ decision to re-sign Cody Bellinger created an immediate need for another 40-man roster spot, forcing the front office to make a tough call. Ort, being the most easily movable piece, was designated for assignment once again.
From the Yankees’ perspective, the hope was likely that Ort would clear waivers this time around. If no other team claimed him, New York could outright him to Triple-A, keeping him in the system as organizational depth without burning a roster spot. It is a common tactic, especially for players who don’t have a long track record of major league success. But this time, the rest of the league was paying attention.
The Los Angeles Angels stepped in and disrupted those plans entirely. Rather than allowing Ort to slide through waivers, the Angels claimed him, instantly adding him to their own 40-man roster. In doing so, they not only bolstered their bullpen depth but also prevented the Yankees from quietly retaining a useful arm. For Los Angeles, it was a classic opportunistic move—identifying a player another club was trying to sneak through and pouncing before he could be hidden away.
Of course, claiming Ort came with consequences of its own. Since he had to be added to the Angels’ 40-man roster, the team needed to clear space. That meant making a difficult decision internally, which resulted in outfielder Wade Meckler being designated for assignment. Meckler, like Ort, became a casualty of roster math rather than a reflection of his talent or potential.
This sequence of moves perfectly illustrates how delicate and strategic roster construction can be during the offseason. A single signing can set off a chain reaction, forcing teams to weigh the value of depth, upside, and flexibility all at once. For the Yankees, Ort was a calculated risk that ultimately didn’t pay off the way they hoped. For the Angels, the waiver claim represented a chance to add pitching depth at minimal cost, even if it meant sacrificing another player in the process.
In the end, this wasn’t about one reliever or one outfielder as much as it was about timing and opportunity. Designating a player for assignment is often less about letting someone go and more about navigating the narrow margins of the roster rules. Sometimes those gambles work, and a player slips through unnoticed. Other times, as the Yankees learned here, another team is ready to capitalize. That constant push and pull is what makes the offseason such a fascinating, high-stakes puzzle for front offices across baseball.
Angels claim former Astros reliever Kaleb Ort after he was DFA’d by the Yankees
Interestingly, Ort is far from a marginal figure in the Major Leagues despite what his recent statistics might suggest. He is not the type of pitcher who only occasionally steps onto the mound; rather, he was a consistent presence in the Houston Astros bullpen throughout the 2025 season.
MORE: Mariners quietly cut ties with top Pitcher
Over the course of that year, Ort made 49 appearances, logging significant innings and regularly taking on high-leverage situations when called upon by his manager. While his performance numbers were not particularly eye-catching—he recorded a 4.89 ERA and a 5.05 FIP—these figures only tell part of the story.
In many ways, they obscure the contributions he made in maintaining bullpen depth and providing Houston with a reliable arm in middle relief roles. More importantly, he demonstrated an ability to generate swings and misses, posting a 25.3% strikeout rate. This strikeout ability is not trivial; it shows that Ort can dominate hitters in spurts and has the raw stuff to succeed when he is on his game.
Ort’s experience in the big leagues cannot be understated. Over the course of his career, he has appeared in more than 115 Major League contests, which is a substantial sample for a reliever who has primarily operated out of the bullpen. His cumulative career statistics—5.00 ERA and 5.20 FIP—might not jump off the page, but they reflect the realities of a pitcher who often battles control issues while trying to consistently execute pitches against elite competition.
Indeed, control has historically been one of Ort’s more significant challenges. In 2025, his walk rate was 13.9%, a figure that clearly illustrates the struggles he has had in consistently commanding the strike zone. This is not a new development for the right-hander; over the span of his Major League tenure, his walk rate has consistently hovered above 10%.
For any pitcher, particularly one joining a new team like the Los Angeles Angels, this lack of precision could be a limiting factor when it comes to making a meaningful impact. High walk rates can erode effectiveness quickly, especially in high-stakes innings where free passes can change the course of a game.
MORE: Mets Quietly Sign Astros’ Infielder in Latest Move
Nevertheless, a team such as the Angels can scarcely afford to overlook a pitcher like Ort. Major League rosters, especially bullpens, are always in need of reliable arms, and depth is often the difference between a bullpen that collapses under pressure and one that can sustain success over a long season.
The Angels are facing the 2026 season with questions about their pitching staff’s overall consistency, which makes acquiring pitchers with upside, even if they come with some risk, a pragmatic move. Ort represents precisely that type of low-risk, potentially high-reward option. There is enough talent and raw ability in his repertoire that, with proper coaching and adjustments, he could become a much more effective reliever than his recent numbers indicate.
A key factor in Ort’s potential resurgence with the Angels is the presence of pitching coach Mike Maddux, who recently joined the organization. Maddux is widely respected in the baseball world for his ability to refine pitchers’ mechanics, optimize pitch usage, and correct underlying issues that may have limited a player’s effectiveness elsewhere.
His presence could be a game-changer for Ort. It is entirely possible that Maddux could identify mechanical quirks or inefficiencies in Ort’s delivery that previous coaching staffs either overlooked or failed to address adequately. In other words, Ort may be entering an environment uniquely suited to help him maximize his potential, leveraging coaching expertise that understands both the physical and mental aspects of pitching at the highest level.
Ort’s physical attributes further enhance his profile as a pitcher capable of bouncing back. He is a hulking right-hander with the ability to really throw the baseball, a trait that is always appealing to a Major League bullpen. His fastball consistently sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, averaging more than 96 mph.
According to advanced metrics compiled by Baseball Savant, this velocity places him in the 83rd percentile among all Major League pitchers, highlighting his ability to overpower hitters when he is commanding his pitches. Beyond raw velocity, Ort also has shown flashes of dominance in the recent past.
MORE: Angels sign first baseman, offered lifeline deal to Orioles’ veteran
In the 2024 season, just a year before his struggles in 2025, he posted a stellar 2.55 ERA over 22⅔ innings with the Astros, demonstrating that he is fully capable of elite performance when everything is working in his favor. This makes him a tantalizing option for the Angels, who hope he can recapture that level of effectiveness in the upcoming season.
The combination of Ort’s velocity, experience, and strikeout capability, when paired with the guidance of a veteran pitching coach like Maddux, provides the Angels with a realistic pathway for success. While control issues remain a legitimate concern, they are not necessarily insurmountable, especially given Ort’s physical tools and prior success at the Major League level.
The organization’s hope is that, through adjustments to his mechanics, improved pitch sequencing, and strategic usage within the bullpen, Ort can mitigate the aspects of his game that have held him back and instead become a reliable contributor out of the bullpen.
In conclusion, Jackson Ort is far from a simple roster filler. Despite a rough 2025 season that saw a high ERA, elevated FIP, and persistent walk issues, he has proven that he can strike out hitters at a strong rate and provide meaningful innings out of the bullpen.
With over 115 Major League appearances and a prior stretch of impressive performance in 2024, he has the experience, tools, and velocity to contribute at a high level. The Angels’ investment in Ort, bolstered by the expertise of Mike Maddux, represents a calculated gamble that could pay dividends if he can refine his control and replicate his peak performance.
While the road ahead is challenging, the potential upside is clear: Ort has the arm, the experience, and now the coaching support to re-establish himself as a valuable Major League reliever and help stabilize the Angels’ bullpen in 2026.
Be the first to comment