The Marlins have chosen to designate right-hander Kaleb Ort for assignment, as reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. This decision allows the Marlins to acquire Declan Cronin from the Astros through waivers, which was previously announced.
Ort, who is 32 years old, has recently been moving between different teams. He spent the past few seasons with the Red Sox but has now found himself without a roster spot once again. After being claimed off waivers by the Mariners and then the Marlins, he has now lost his place on the roster. The Marlins claimed him in early December, but he was only able to stay with the team for a little over two months before being removed.
The right-handed pitcher has shown impressive velocity, with his fastball averaging around 96 miles per hour. This has led to Ort accumulating strikeouts in the minor leagues, although he has also had a fair share of walks. In the major leagues, his performance in both areas has been slightly less impressive. Over the past three seasons, he has pitched 97 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, allowing an average of 2.76 earned runs per nine innings. He has struck out 31.1% of batters faced and walked 10.9%. In the same timeframe, he has pitched 51 2/3 innings in the majors, with a 6.27 ERA, a 20.9% strikeout rate, and a 10.2% walk rate.
Despite not having the same success in striking out major league hitters, Ort’s performance in the minor leagues has caught the attention of various teams. He still has one option year remaining and does not require an active roster spot, making him an appealing choice. A team could keep him in the minor leagues and call him up as needed throughout the season.
However, the Marlins have decided that Cronin is a better fit for their roster and have chosen to remove Ort. They now have one week to either trade Ort or place him on waivers. Given the multiple claims he has received this offseason, it is likely that he will find a new team soon. If he were to go unclaimed on waivers, he does not have the necessary qualifications to become a free agent, so he would remain with the Marlins as non-roster depth.