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Players Who Have Cleared Waivers

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MLBTR will continue to update this post as players reportedly clear revocable trade waivers, making it a running list of players that may be traded to any club in the season's final two months. Remember though, players must be acquired by Aug. 31 to be eligible for their new team's postseason roster. Click here for a further explanation of the August waiver and trade rules. Also bear in mind that a player's no-trade rights remain effective even if he clears waivers. Player names are linked to the source articles, and this article can always be found under the MLBTR Features portion of the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Last Updated: 8-15-2013

  • Elvis Andrus, Rangers — Andrus is under contract for an additional nine years and $124.475MM, making it no surprise that teams passed on claiming him. He was hitting .255/.317/.306 at the time he cleared waivers — a notable decline in production for the 24-year-old. The Rangers reportedly have no intention to trade him.
  • Erik Bedard, Astros — Bedard owns a 4.28 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 21 starts and two relief outings in 2013 for Houston.  The southpaw, who cleared waivers on Aug. 14, would be a really cheap pickup as he is owed just $300K for the rest of the season.  
  • Dan Haren, Nationals — Haren was placed on waivers on Aug. 8 without any clubs biting on him and his remaining $3.7MM in salary.  The right-hander owns a 4.99 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 so far in 2013 and he could be of interest to teams if the Nationals fall further back in the Wild Card chase. 
  • Brendan Ryan, Mariners — Word came down of Ryan clearing waivers on Aug. 14.  The M's were said to have him available before July 31st but couldn't find any takers.  
  • Matt Lindstrom, White Sox — Everyone needs relief help, but the White Sox were selling at the non-waiver deadline and couldn't find a suitable deal for Lindstrom.  The reliever, who has a 3.47 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9, cleared waivers on Aug. 14.
  • Justin Morneau, Twins — Morneau cleared waivers on Aug. 14, when he had roughly $3.5MM remaining on his $14MM salary. A free agent at season's end, Morneau was dreadful in July, batting .175/.266/.330. He homered six times in his first 10 games of August though, which could make teams reconsider their stance.
  • Barry Zito, Giants — Zito cleared waivers on Aug. 14, but at that point still had $5.14MM remaining on his $20MM salary. With an ERA north of 5.00 and that kind of money remaining on his deal, it seems likely that Zito will play out the rest of his widely panned contract in San Francisco.
  • Josh Johnson, Blue Jays — With more than $4MM left on his salary at the time he was placed on waivers, no team was apparently willing to take a risk that the big righty's poor results will begin to reflect his more promising peripherals. Unless Johnson hits an August hot streak, it seems likely that the Jays will hold onto him and consider whether to make him a qualifying offer when he reaches free agency at the end of the year.
  • Adam Dunn, White Sox — That Dunn cleared waivers isn't a huge surprise, given his $15MM salary in 2013 and in 2014. He's been red-hot since June 1, however, which could lead contending AL teams such as the Orioles and Rangers to show interest if the White Sox are willing to include some cash in the deal.
  • Jimmy Rollins, Phillies — Rollins has taken a big step back in production this year (especially on the power side of the ledger) and is owed $11MM for 2014 (and possibly the same for 2015 if his option vests). The 34-year-old shortstop seems discinclined to waive his full no-trade rights, making him unlikely to change hands.
  • Michael Young, Phillies — The third baseman could be an August trade candidate given his expiring contract, experience, and serviceable (if unspectacular) 2013 campaign. He is reportedly willing to waive his no-trade protection to go to a contender.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Phillies Sign Luis Encarnacion

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The Phillies have signed Dominican third baseman Luis Encarnacion for a $1MM signing bonus, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Badler ranked Encarnacion as the No. 4 international prospect in this year's class, while MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez ranked him 12th. Earlier in the week, Badler reported that he'd be "shocked" if the Phillies didn't sign Encarnacion, who just became eligible to sign today — his 16th birthday.

Encarnacion's value is all in his bat, Badler writes, as defensive limitations will cause him to move to left field or first base eventually. He has plus raw power from the right side of the plate and has shown that power off to scouts in games already. Over at MLB.com, Sanchez's scouting report notes that Encarnacion hits the ball to all fields with a solid line-drive stroke and already has shown home run power to his pull side. Scouts like Encarnacion's makeup and aggressive approach on the field as well.

East Notes: DeRosa, Reynolds, Nationals

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Here are a few links from around baseball's eastern divisions:

  • As expected, the Blue Jays pulled back Mark DeRosa after he was claimed on waivers yesterday, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted earlier today. The only team that put in a claim on DeRosa was under .500, making it unsurprising that the Jays ended up holding onto him. As Heyman explains, the club likes his veteran clubhouse presence and cheap 2014 club option ($750k). 
  • The Indians designated struggling slugger Mark Reynolds for assignment earlier today. His last employer, the Orioles, "do have interest" in bringing Reynolds back if he clears waivers, tweeted ESPN's Jim Bowden. MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli characterizes things somewhat differently, but concurs that the O's "would have some interest" in Reynolds. 
  • As recently extended GM Mike Rizzo looks to right the Nationals going into next season, perhaps his most important task will be to find a replacement for outgoing manager Davey Johnson. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that Diamondbacks coach and longtime Giants third baseman Matt Williams (who Rizzo knows from his days in Arizona) could be among the candidates. According to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times, three other candidates with current or recent ties to the team could also be under consideration: current Astros manager Bo Porter and current Nats coaches Randy Knorr and Trent Jewett. 

Jimmy Rollins Clears Waivers

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Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins has cleared waivers, making him eligible to be traded to any team, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Indications are that Rollins would not waive his no-trade rights, however, Heyman further notes. (Rollins has ten and five rights.)

At 34 years of age, Rollins has taken a step back from his excellent 2012 season. His batting average and on-base percentage are right in line with last year, but his slugging percentage has fallen from .427 to .348. While he hit 23 home runs last year to go with 30 stolen bases, moreover, he has logged just 5 long balls and 15 swipes through 113 games and 474 plate appearances in 2013. According to Fangraphs, Rollins's defense and baserunning have both taken a downturn, leaving him with just 1.0 fWAR to date this year. 

Looking at the contract, the Phillies are obligated to pay Rollins $11MM next season. If Rollins stays healthy and in the lineup next year, moreover, it is likely that his 2015 option will vest, guaranteeing him an additional $11MM for that season. If that option fails to vest, the Phils will hold a $8MM team option and Rollins will hold a $5MM player option for that year. 

AL Central Notes: White Sox, Raburn, Indians, Kazmir

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As the Tigers do everything they can to run away with the division, let's check in with some of their competitors in the AL Central:

  • GM Rick Hahn's plans for the White Sox are better characterized as a "reshape" than a "rebuild," according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "It's not in our nature to write off any season," said Hahn. "You see too many teams make fairly quick and significant turnarounds in the course of one offseason. With that said, we have some work to do." 
  • The Indians extended utilityman Ryan Raburn yesterday; today, Max Lom posted interview excerpts on MLB.com. Raburn noted that the team aproached him before the All-Star break about a possible extension. GM Chris Antonetti explained that the team liked Raburn as a bounce-back candidate after his woeful 2012 campaign. For his part, manager Terry Francona noted that the club's relatively low payroll means that it must rely on players like Raburn and fellow benchmate Mike Aviles to compete. (Notably, the club also signed Aviles to a multi-year contract with a club option.)
  • Even if Cleveland falls out of the AL Central race, it is worth keeping an eye on the organization in the coming months. Antonetti is believed to have approached other players about extensions, reports Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer. 
  • Hoynes went on to note that another player who has revived his career with the Indians — lefty Scott Kazmir – has indicated that he might be amenable to a hometown discount. However, Antonetti implied that the sides have not talked about a new deal. 

Phillies Notes: Utley, Ruiz

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It has been a rather noteworthy day for the Phillies front office: the club announced its extension of Chase Utley, claimed Casper Wells on waivers, and saw Michael Young clear waivers. Let's look at a few links regarding the Fightin' Phils …

  • Negotiations between the Phillies and Utley began in earnest a few weeks back, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia, after the club approached its star second baseman with trade interest it had received. When Utley told the team his preference was to stay, says Salisbury, the sides set out to make a deal happen.
  • The deal that Utley signed will effectively come with full no-trade protection, Salisbury notes (also via Twitter), as Utley will obtain ten and five rights on August 22.
  • Utley expects to remain satisfied with his decision to sign an extension before reaching free agency, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Sulia). "This is something that no matter what happens I'm not going to regret," said Utley. "I've talked to some guys that have played here and moved on to other organizations. The grass isn't always greener on the other side."
  • With Utley pretty firmly entrenched as a Phillie-for-life, it remains to be seen what will happen to another stalwart from the club's 2007-2011 peak seasons. As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki writes, catcher Carlos Ruiz may have a guaranteed place in Philadelphia's history, but it is far less clear whether he will have a place on its roster over the coming seasons. For his part, the 34-year-old Ruiz says he hopes to remain with the only big league club he's every played for.

Placed On Waivers: Kyle Lohse, Dan Haren

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Here is Thursday's rundown of names that have been placed on revocable trade waivers…

  • Kyle Lohse: The Brewers placed Lohse on waivers yesterday, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. The claiming period for him ends tomorrow. The 34-year-old Lohse is enjoying another fine campaign in his first season with Milwaukee. He's pitched to a 3.23 ERA with 5.8 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate in 139 1/3 innings on the season. Lohse is owed $11MM in each of the next two seasons and is earning $11MM this season as well. However, $7MM of that total is deferred to 2016-18, so he's technically only owed $1.136MM of this year's $4MM guarantee. Lohse's cost isn't exorbitant, but an additional $22MM for his age-35 and age-36 seasons may give some teams pause.
  • Dan Haren: Knobler also tweets that the Nationals placed Haren on waivers today. Washington was clearly expecting more when they signed Haren to a one-year, $13MM contract this offseason. The former ace has just a 5.14 ERA, though he's posted a strong 8.0 K/9 rate with his usual elite command (1.7 BB/9). Haren has been bitten by the homer bug, allowing an NL-leading 21 bombs this season. Haren's past five starts have showed promise, though. He's sporting a 2.40 ERA in that time with 32 strikeouts against eight walks in 30 innings. Most importantly, he's surrendered just two homers in that time. He's owed just under $3.7MM for the remainder of the year.

For a reminder on how revocable trade waivers and August trades work, check out MLBTR's August trades primer.

Scott Boras To Represent Jose Iglesias

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Newly acquired Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias has changed agencies and will now be represented by Scott Boras, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter link).

The 23-year-old Iglesias is hitting .318/.361/.403 overall on the season, though he was slumping badly prior to his inclusion in the July 30 blockbuster that sent Jake Peavy to the Red Sox, Avisail Garcia to the White Sox and Iglesias to the Tigers. His slump has continued with Detroit, as he's hitting just .190/.190/.333 in an admittedly small six-game sample size for his new team.

Boras clients rarely sign long-term extensions before reaching free agency, though notable recent exceptions include Carlos Gomez and Carlos Gonzalez. That's unlikely to be an issue for the Tigers anytime in the near future anyhow, as Iglesias isn't even arbitration-eligible until the 2015-16 offseason and can't become a free agent until after the 2018 season.

Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is quite familiar with Boras, who is also the agent for Prince Fielder, Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson and Jose Valverde. For more agent-related information on nearly 1,900 Major League and Minor League players, check out MLBTR's Agency Database. If you see any notable errors or omissions, please drop us an email at mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Minor Moves: Moore, Lillibridge, Martinez

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Today's minor moves from around the league…

  • Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals have requested release waivers on catcher Adam Moore. A one-time top prospect in the Mariners system, Moore has appeared in just 11 games since the 2011 season. In 271 Major League plate appearances, the now-29-year-old Moore has batted .200/.237/.310. He's been significantly better at the Triple-A level, where he owns a career slash line of .273/.333/.427 in 887 plate appearances. Moore's release will allow the Royals to select the contract of left-hander Francisley Bueno.
  • The Yankees outrighted Brent Lillibridge to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, according to Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Lillibridge was designated for assignment on Monday after batting .171/.194/.200 in 37 plate appearances for the Yankees.
  • The Indians announced (via Twitter) that they have released right-hander Fabio Martinez from Class-A Carolina. The 23-year-old was on the 40-man roster for the club at one point last season but has seen his command decline rapidly. In his last 57 1/3 minor league innings, Martinez has walked 75 batters en route to an ERA north of 10.00. He does miss plenty of bats, however, as he's whiffed 67 hitters in those 57 1/3 frames. Martinez was originally signed by the Angels out of the Dominican Republic.
  • Five players are currently in DFA limbo: Laynce Nix of the Phillies, Josh Sullivan of the Rockies, Mark Reynolds of the Indians, Travis Blackley of the Astros and Guillermo Quiroz of the Giants.

Phillies Extend Chase Utley

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Chase Utley is the face of the Phillies franchise, and that's no longer in jeopardy of changing at the end of this year. The Phillies have officially announced a two-year extension for Utley that contains three vesting options. The contract is reportedly worth $27MM and could be worth as much as $75MM over five years if all of the options vest and Utley stays healthy.  Utley

Utley is guaranteed $15MM in 2014 and $10MM in 2015 and has a $2MM buyout on his first option. His 2015 salary will rise to $15MM if he spends no more than 15 days on the disabled list due to a specific knee condition. Each option is valued at $15MM and is triggered if Utley reaches 500 plate appearances in the previous season.

Should Utley fail to reach 500 plate appearances in any season from 2015-17, the following year's vesting option will become a club option worth between $5MM and $11MM. The specific value of those conditional club options would be based on the number of days he spent on the disabled list the previous season. The deal contains a full no-trade clause, though that is essentially a moot point because he will receive 10-and-5 rights later this month.

A fresh multi-year deal for the Phillies and the 34-year-old seemed unlikely just a few months ago as he suffered yet another setback with a strained oblique that kept him sidelined to start the season.  He's bounced back, however, and has appeared in 84 of the club's 113 games. 

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said repeatedly in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline that he planned to hold on to all of the club's veterans, but that didn't stop the baseball world from speculating on potential deals for players, including Utley.  The second baseman figured to bring in a decent return from clubs looking for a quality rental and the Royals were among the teams that were linked. Ultimately, Amaro kept his word and will now keep one of his club's cornerstones for the foreseeable future.

The Phillies and Utley's representation were first reported to be discussing something with an average annual value of about $13MM, modeled after Carlos Beltran's two-year pact with the Cardinals, late last month.  While both play different positions, both have displayed significant value in the face of injuries.

In 342 plate appearances this season, Utley owns a .275/.336/.505 slash line with 15 homers.  For his career, the second baseman has hit .287/.373/.500 across eleven seasons for the Phillies. A variety of knee problems and right thumb surgery in 2010 have caused Utley to average 100 games in the three seasons prior to 2013.

Utley is represented by the Wasserman Media Group, the same agency that previously ironed out a seven-year, $85MM deal for the second baseman.

Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia first reported that an agreement had been reached (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the contract would contain multiple vesting options and provided the financial breakdown after Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the deal was worth $27MM (Twitter link).

Steve Adams contriubted to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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