PHOENIX – Oswaldo Cabrera’s Yankees tenure is officially over.
The beloved utilityman was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Friday, two days after the Yankees designated him for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Clarke Schmidt.
Aaron Boone was among those holding out some hope that the Yankees could keep Cabrera, if he went unclaimed, but it was not a surprise that another team scooped up the 27-year-old who has another minor league option remaining for next year and was batting .288 with a .790 OPS in 122 games at Triple-A this season.
Cabrera, who had been the second-longest tenured player in the organization behind only Aaron Judge, played 305 games for the Yankees since his debut in 2002, batting .232 with a .635 OPS.
He started games at third base, second base, first base, shortstop, right field and left field, while also appearing in center field and at pitcher.
Known for his bubbly personality and uplifting energy, Cabrera’s Yankees career was derailed in part by a broken ankle and ligament damage that he suffered on a gruesome slide home in a game in Seattle last season.
The scene left his teammates gutted, and while he was putting smiles on their faces later that night when they went to visit him at the hospital, the serious injury sidelined Cabrera for the rest of 2025 before he made his comeback this season.
