The Seattle Mariners have claimed bullpen arm Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Red Sox news: Kaleb Ort was claimed off waivers by the Mariners, per source.
Ort is an intriguing arm, though he was certainly frustrating to Red Sox fans.
The 32-year-old appeared in 21 games this past season, including making two starts as an opener. He went 1-2 and pitched to a 6.26 ERA. In 23.0 innings, he struck out 24. He appeared in one game for Boston in 2021 and 25 in 2022, so he is generally a late bloomer to the big league scene.
The Mariners are known for taking fliers on intriguing arms and trying to mold them into usable big leaguers. It worked splendidly with Paul Sewald, who became a huge part of the bullpen in 2021-2023 before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and also worked with guys like Gabe Speier and Justin Topa, who were incredibly valuable this year.
It hasn't worked with others, so it's a guess as to what becomes of Ort in the Pacific Northwest, but he does come with good traits like high velocity. Often times, the Mariners have often been attracted to one great trait with a pitcher, and they've seen if they can mold a pitcher around it. Ort also features a slider which maybe the Mariners can develop.
Seattle finished 88-74 this year and missed the playoffs by one game. This came on the heels of making the playoffs in the 2022 season.
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