A team can put a player on two types of waivers. Most waivers are revocable, which allow the team to cancel the waivers and keep the player if he’s claimed (though they can let the claiming team have him). Players can also be put on irrevocable waivers, meaning the team can’t keep the player if someone else claims him. The Red Sox infamously put Manny Ramirez on irrevocable waivers in 2003, hoping some team would take him – and more importantly, the $100 million remaining on his contract.
Josh Burns, General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, announced that they had traded Shawn Green to the Mets for… and here’s where it gets scary… “prospects to be named later and fiscal relief”.
First of all, they said ‘to be named later’ so we all have to sit around and see who doesn’t play last night’s game. Wasn’t it Deolis Guerra’s turn to pitch?
Secondly, he said prospects with an ‘s’… not prospect… that means at least 2 minor leaguers are gone for, what, a loaner?
He also said ‘fiscal relief’… Green is owed $9.5 million in 2007 and $10 million with a $2 million buyout in 2008… should we assume the Mets are going to try and sign Green past this year, meaning, they are going to shell out this kind of money?
Waived players go onto a list that’s sent to every major league front office. Teams decide whether or not to claim players. If more than one team claims a player, he’s awarded to the one with the worst record (though if the waivers are revocable, the original team can keep him). By the time August rolls around, at least half of all major leaguers have been put on waivers. The ones who’ve cleared waivers—in other words, not claimed by any team—are eligible to be traded after July 31. Everyone else has to remain with their current teams for the rest of the season.
It’s a real cat-and-mouse game. Contenders routinely claim every star who’s put on waivers, just to make sure that their competitors don’t get him. By the same token, you don’t want to get stuck with a player you don’t need. A few years ago, Tampa Bay put Jose Canseco on waivers, hoping he’d clear for a potential trade. The Yankees claimed him, but only to prevent teams like Boston from getting a power hitter. Tampa Bay decided that it was a golden opportunity to save money, so they let the Yankees keep Canseco, who not only didn’t have a role, but also had to be paid a hefty salary.
Still, you’d be surprised at how many useful players do clear waivers. Even though most stars are ineligible to be traded, contenders are often able to boost their bench and bullpen with late August trades.
One more point on waivers. Many fans think teams can block trades. That’s not how it works. When teams see lists of waived players, they don’t know what trades (if any) are on the horizon. After the deadline, a player can only be traded after the other teams decide not to claim him. If the Cubs have a deal brewing for Ugueth Urbina in August, the Cardinals can’t suddenly claim him on waivers to block the deal. Urbina would have already cleared waivers, and by that point no other team could stop the trade.
The August 31 Deadline
The second trade deadline, August 31, has to do with playoff rosters. Players traded after that date are not eligible for the postseason with their new teams. Only players on a club’s 25-man roster or disabled list as of August 31 can appear in the playoffs. As a result, September trades are very rare and almost never significant.
There are loopholes that let teams add ineligible players to postseason rosters. The most famous example is Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez, who appeared in only five September games in 2002, yet was a huge factor in the Angels’ World Championship. And even K-Rod’s eligibility has been debated due to other technicalities.
Other Restrictions Still Apply
Some players have no-trade clauses in their contracts, which means they can’t be dealt without their permission. Others have modified versions, listing certain teams that they won’t go to. A few teams refuse to add any no-trade clauses in any of their players’ contracts, but most will acquiesce in order to ink a superstar.
Players who’ve spent 10 years in the majors and the last 5 on their current team can’t be traded without their permission. These players are commonly called 10-and-5 Men, and they’re treated exactly as if they have no-trade clauses.
2006-08-25 15:18:05
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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A player can be traded at any time. The rules change after the trade deadline thus making it more difficult to trade a player after that date.
2006-08-25 22:28:51
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answer #2
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answered by Dr. Screech Belding 1
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They can trade if both american and national league agree to the trade. This is the only necessary stiputation.
2006-08-25 22:09:30
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answer #4
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answered by Cheryl K 4
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