The Orioles announced that right-hander Kaleb Ort has been claimed off waivers by the Astros. There was no previous indication Ort was removed from Baltimore’s 40-man, so this move drops their count to 39. The Astros have optioned the righty to Triple-A, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic on X.
Ort, now 32, was with the Red Sox last year but spent the offseason riding the transaction carousel around the league. He went to the Mariners, Marlins, Phillies and Orioles this offseason, the first three via waiver claims before the O’s got him in a cash deal.
Baltimore sent Ort to Triple-A to start the year and the results have not been pretty. In 12 2/3 innings for Norfolk, he has allowed 17 earned runs and is currently sporting an ERA of 12.08 for the year. That’s surely at least somewhat a mirage, as his .463 batting average on balls in play and 42.6% strand rate are both far into the unlucky side. His 23.2% strikeout rate is around average but he hasn’t done himself any favors with a 14.5% walk rate. His 5.48 FIP suggests he hasn’t been quite as bad as his ERA would suggest, but still not great overall.
Since the Orioles didn’t make a corresponding transaction, it’s possible they were hoping to quietly sneak Ort through waivers while his numbers are poor. But the righty was plenty popular in the offseason, as mentioned, and the Astros had an open roster spot that they have used to grab him.
Though Ort has been struggling this year, he still has an option and can be kept in the minors until he shows improvement or Houston needs a bullpen reinforcement. He has an unimpressive 6.27 ERA in his 51 2/3 major league innings but the Astros are undoubtedly intriguing by his Triple-A numbers, which were strong before this year’s struggles. In 97 2/3 Triple-A innings over the 2021-23 seasons, he had a 2.76 ERA while striking out 31.1% of opponents. The 10.9% walk rate in that time was on the high side but much better than what he’s done so far this year.
The Astros will see if Ort can get back on track in a new environment. He’ll be out of options next year but that still leaves them with a few months of flexibility. He also has just over a year of service time and can be retained into the future if he continues holding onto his 40-man spot.
oh great an even worse jose urquidy
If you or I posted those numbers in the minors, they could say it was unlucky, but couldn’t it just be we are not MLB material?
Dang, remember when Yankee fans said Ort was the next Mariano Rivera? Undrafted to future Yankee closer… oh well.
No, I don’t remember that. I think you just this up to give yourself an excuse to cry about the Yankees
There are so many ways to make fun of Yankee fans, I don’t need to make any up.
Except you just did. I follow the Yankees farm system closely and I had no recollection of Ort ever being in their system before reading your comment. I definitely never saw anyone declare him the next Mo
This guy Ort to be doing better than he has so far.
So bad it’s good.
Thanks… I think.
There’s an Ort to telling a bad joke like that
His good AAA numbers have slowly gotten worse since the RedSox thought he’d be the next Bob Stanley.
His 1.7 WHIP in the majors is now dwarfed by his 2.45 WHIP in Norfolk this year.
Roster filler, unless the Astros can find the key to his troubles.
Astros look to the Ort cloud.
Or the Ort of Confusion!!!
Dude will be collecting shopping carts in the parking lot by labor day
Is that what you do?
I love that there’s a shaming service for people who leave their shopping carts in parking lots.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cart_Narcs
Dude it’s a joke,
@Admiral O’Toole,
Thsnk you kindly for the mansplaining to men.
Still my claim to ….. saw his first mlb save in person…next to Brasier a all time great in my poked eyes…
A clear indication of desperation.
Further evidence that a Povich call up is on the horizon.
Normally I would say .463 BAA is due for regression. But Ort gets shelled professionally, them’s pretty good numbers.
dirty – Let him face the Red Sox and that BAA will surely come down.
Hah, exactly. Dom Smith pop out, Grissom K, Rafaela K. All of a sudden Ort looking like Yennier Cano.
Not sure what potential the Astros saw. Watch him stink up AAA just want Space Cowboys need is stinkers the Astros go out and get. Thinking can turn them all around. But Houston needs a rotation. If Javier and Urquidy out and Framber his ups and downs. Verlander as well. Spencer and Brown round out garbage, Not great but they both can pitch 4 to 5. Now Spencer has been pushed longer and doe not look like can go more than 5 as if only has given a run up that extra inning he starts losing it and then bullpen cannot keep those on base from scoring. But we shall see what happens.
Translation please.
I think it basically translates into “the Astros need help and this ain’t it”
I don’t know Ort, but I know what I like. And I don’t like Ort.
It’s times like these I’m glad Bloom is no longer around because an Ort/Sox reunion would be such a Chaim Bloom thing to do
How many days before HOU designates Ort? I’m gonna say five, and I’ll even up the ante by predicting CWS will claim him.