The Boston Red Sox organization has had a number of players in recent years who have lost the support of the fan base.
With the exception of Matt Dermody, who was hated off the field, those players were scrutinized for a lack of consistent production. After last place, there was a lot of blame.
Ryan Brasier held the torch to open the season and quickly passed it to Kiké Hernández. With both players gone, there was only one player the fan base almost unanimously wanted — and his time in Boston appears to be over. “The Red Sox have been told that right-handed pitcher Kaleb Ort has been waived,” Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe tweeted Wednesday.
In his final two seasons with the Red Sox, Ort posted a 6.31 ERA in 51–24 strikeouts and walks, a .297 batting average and a 1.68 WHIP in 51 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old pitched hard but never produced a run that would inspire confidence in the reliever. He hurt the team almost every time he touched the ball. Even if the Red Sox had a big lead, he would give it back and force Kenley Jansen into save situations.
Unfortunately, Ort found his way back into a Red Sox uniform. Placing him on waivers removes him from the 40-man roster, but he can return to the organization. A move should be made to bring him up again, which means it’s good that he’s off the roster. Also almost forgotten is the conclusion that if a player is waived this offseason, he will opt for free agency to find a position where he has a higher position in the organization.
The waiver wire is likely the first step in moving Ort, but it’s not a guarantee.
