The New York Yankees remain active in the player transaction market, although it’s been a revolving door of small moves that don’t have much impact on the 2026 team.
A few weeks ago, the Yankees claimed Kaleb Ort off waivers. Well, now they are designating him for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Michael Siani, who the Yankees announced today has been claimed off waivers. Siani was DFA’d by the Dodgers the other day to make room for Kyle Tucker on the Dodgers roster.
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Yankees Claim Michael Siani
On one hand, it’s good to know that the Yankees front office is awake, but on the other hand, fans might be getting restless with all these small, non-impactful moves.
Kaleb Ort has struggled in MLB over the past few years, so his spot on the Yankees roster had always been in jeopardy, but it will be interesting to see what role Siani has with New York. He may be invited to Spring Training, where he can potentially prove himself to the New York coaching staff and possibly earn himself a bench spot with the team.
GettyFormer St. Louis Cardinals OF Michael Siani.
Siani has spent parts of four seasons at the big-league level, and he played in 19 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025. In those 19 games, he hit .235 with four hits in just 17 at-bats. He’s still just 26, but in a more extended look with the Cardinals in 2024, Siani didn’t perform well with the bat.
In 344 career AB’s, Siani has an OPS of .547 with just two home runs.
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Will the Yankees Make Any More Moves?
This is the question that Yankees fans are tired of hearing. The roster looks fine on paper, and New York doesn’t have any glaring needs at any of the major positions, but another starting pitcher and bullpen arm would go a long way in winning back the fans before Opening Day.
It’s not that Yankees fans are completely tapped out, but it’s a bit discouraging to see other teams around MLB, and especially in the AL East, outspend the Yankees, which should not be the case.
But, in the same breath, New York has a strong outfield cast with the return of Cody Bellinger, and the only potential position of need in the infield is a first baseman, but Ben Rice might be ready to play every day at that hot corner.
The move to DFA Kaleb Ort is pretty insignificant, as it was unlikely that he would have seen real innings with the club, but adding Michael Siani helps with organizational depth, and who knows, if injuries pile up to the current starters on the depth chart, Siani could see playing time.
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Yankees Claim Former Dodgers Outfielder, DFA Kaleb Ort