Reds' swift Oswaldo Cabrera waiver claim underscores Yankees' potential roster mistake

In case any New York Yankees fan aligned themselves with Aaron Boone and maintained some sort of sliver of hope that utility man Oswaldo Cabrera would make it through the waiver process untouched and find himself back at Triple-A, those hopes were strongly dashed on Friday.

Not only did Cabrera not make it through waivers, but he was snapped up by one of the league's bottom-tier teams, the Cincinnati Reds, ninth from the bottom. That means eight teams - including, against all odds, the New York Mets, passed on Cabrera, but the Reds now get to see what he's got in a nine-game audition in the Queen City to end the year.

If he passes with flying colors, he'll be a Red when spring training arrives in 2027 (whenever that may be).

Once Cabrera's fate was sealed, the Yankees paid him the more detailed tribute he deserved, taking to social media with a fawning message of congratulations, hoping upon hope that better days are ahead for the spark plug (outside the AL East and the American League altogether).

Yankees losing Oswaldo Cabrera in Clarke Schmidt roster move is a dicey game to play

Cabrera only got a nine-AB MLB cameo in his return from the devastating ankle fracture that ended his 2025 season and turned his Yankees career around, but he was his typical productive self at Triple-A, hitting .288 with a .789 OPS and 19 bombs in the minors this season.

The Yankees certainly need to see what they can from Clarke Schmidt as the playoffs loom, but it's somewhat befuddling they didn't cut a piece of pitching roster fodder like Brendan Beck or Bradley Hanner instead. You never cut pitching depth, sure, but Hanner has been given multiple chances this year and failed every one of them; Yerry de los Santos can do his job better, if needed. Beck is a spot starter/swingman at best, but he's far down the Yankees' pecking order, and Elmer Rodriguez is more likely to get a nod in the immediate future.

The Yankees clearly believe they can trade one or both (or need them) and not Cabrera. Sadly, this is how his fate was sealed, and fans wish him nothing but the best in his new role as a Riverboat Gambler in Cincy.

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