Now that the non-waiver trade deadline has passed, it becomes much more difficult for teams to move players. Those looking for a crash course can check out MLBTR’s August trade primer, but the quick version is that each team will place a significant amount of players on revocable trade waivers this month. If a player is claimed, his team can either force the claiming team to take the entirety of his contract, work out a trade with the claiming team (they have 48.5 hours to do so) or pull the player back off waivers. Players that clear waivers can be traded to any team. If a player is put through waivers a second time, his team loses the ability to revoke the waivers.
Bear in mind that teams will often place players they have no intention of trading on revocable trade waivers. There’s no harm in the process, it can help to mask the players they do want to trade, and it allows them a chance to gauge interest and be overwhelmed by an unexpected offer. (Again, for further detail, check out MLBTR’s full post on the process.)
All that said, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo has provided our first batch of players that have been placed on revocable waivers. It’s not clear when each of these names was placed on waivers, so some may have already cleared or been pulled back…
- The Red Sox have placed Mike Napoli, Rusney Castillo, Jackie Bradley Jr., Brock Holt, Hanley Ramirez, Craig Breslow and Justin Masterson on waivers. Of that group, I’d imagine that Napoli (earning $16MM in 2015), Castillo (owed $56.5MM from 2016-20), Ramirez ($66MM from 2016-18) and Masterson (earning $9.5MM in 2015) would each clear just based on salary alone. The remaining portion of Breslow’s $2MM salary isn’t exactly prohibitive, but he’s posted a 4.25 ERA this year with unsightly peripheral stats that have led stats like FIP and xFIP to suggest that his ERA should be north of 5.00. Lefties are hitting .271/.354/.456 against Breslow in 2015.
- Holt and Bradley, on the other hand, would probably be interest to a large number of teams. The versatile Holt can play all over the diamond and is hitting .277/.351/.380 on the season with an increased walk rate and positive value contributed both defensively and on the basepaths. He’s controllable through 2019, and the Sox almost certainly aren’t interested in moving him, though a claiming team will have the opportunity to offer something substantial. Bradley’s stock has fallen quite a bit from his days as a Top 100 prospect, but he’s an elite glove in center field that is still just 25 years old and can be controlled through 2020. Certainly, there are teams that would have interest in trying to sort out his offensive struggles. (He’s batted just .188/.264/.269 in 589 Major League plate appearances.)
- Cafardo also reports that both James Shields and Matt Kemp have been placed on waivers by the Padres. Kemp has struggled in the field and produced a roughly league-average batting line (park-adjusted) at the plate, so teams aren’t likely to place a claim on his remaining salary.
- Shields has $65MM coming his way after 2015 due to the backloaded nature of his contract, and he can opt out after the 2016 season. It’d be a risk for any club to claim him on the heels of reports that the Padres were shopping him somewhat aggressively in July. The Padres’ thinking could be that they know his market at this time and are confident that he’s less likely to be claimed in early August, so getting him through waivers early will allow them to spend the month further exploring trades. Shields has been uncharacteristically homer-prone this season, but the workhorse has made 23 starts and turned in a 3.74 ERA with a much-improved strikeout rate. He’s posted a 2.57 ERA with just five homers over his past 42 innings as well.
If Jackie Bradley could hit anywhere close to what he’s hit in the minors, he’d be a perfect 8- or 9-hitter on any team. It’s sad to see him not have any success at the plate in the majors.
For all the banter (much justified) about the Phillies stalling to deal Hamels….at one point Bradley likely would have been a center piece in a deal for him. Shows that you never can tell.
He’d be a nice defensive minded CF for the Rockies if they get going
And it was what, 3 deadlines ago he was mentioned as a possibility in a Cliff Lee trade? Yikes
HAHAHAHAHA and at one point the Red Sox referred to Bradley as “untouchable.” Serves them right. You have to be willing to give up quality to get quality.
Pretty much all prospects are not going to pan out. Bradley was rating as a top 50 prospect two years in a row. The players the Phillies got are usually rated in the 50-75 spot and one of them is injured. All the reports say the Phillies wanted an elite prospect (Seeger, Betts,) + not JBJ.
I’ll be fair and say that Bradley can still have a nice career…big really a players fault that we all have a tendency to cast their Hall statue bust before they play an inning.
I wouldn’t have faulted the Phillies for wanting a single top prospect for Hamels… But they did well with Texas
Why shouldn’t they? The Cubs got an elite prospect for a year and a half of one-season wonder Jeff Samardzija. The Rays got an elite prospect for two years of Big Shame James. Hamels is better than either of those guys and is under contract for longer.
What no Sandoval? I mean no one would claim him but don’t you at least have to try?
I think this is just Cafardo being Cafardo. More than likely Sandoval, as well as most of the roster, was put on waivers, or will be at some point.
What a handcuff contract Shields has at this point. Low low odds he’ll opt out.
Why doesn’t every club just put the whole team on waivers? What’s the harm?
Most players typically are, just not all at once.
That is generally what happens, but we only hear about the names that leak, since none of this August waiver business is supposed to be public.
There’s also an issue of timing, though. If everyone was on waivers at once it would be confusing and exhausting and might deprive teams of opportunities.
Read somewhere that there is a limit on amount of players on waivers at once, think it was 8. Though there is a good chance it was off a message board such as this, (since I can’t recall where) so take it for what it’s worth.
Shields has been uncharacteristically homer-prone this season
Hasn’t Shields always been prone to HR’s especially for a pitcher who has always pitched in pitchers stadiums?
He had one particularly homer-prone season in 2010, but from 2011-14 he averaged 0.9 HR/9. That’s up to 1.4 this season, including 15 homers through his first 62 innings.
True, forgot to factor in the AL east too where routine fly balls are HR’s in a few places.
Could also say that other than Chicago and Cinci parks in the NL (all) are for pitchers and where HR go to die.
Shields has always had a rough time at Fenway. While on the surface he may look like a close to equal salary swap for Sandovel sending a 3b to the padres that they need and a average pitcher to boston that they could use. Shields has never done well at Fenway when he was going well even.
In a “What have you done for me lately..” league Shields has 71 1/3 IP since the beginning of June with only allowing 6 HR. Which comes out to almost .75 HR/9. So he has definitely improved on that front. He’s given up 30 ER in those 71 1/3 innings. for a 3.79 ERA so he has been solid, it’s just that back loaded contract is scary, but could be valuable for a contender this year who can just figure out the contract later…
I believe I read something to the effect that his hr proneness has been perhaps caused by a slight uptick in velocity. Any info out there?
His changeup hasn’t been all the great the past couple of years so he’s having to throw more fastballs. At least that’s what I seem to notice while he was in KC.
Whoops…I read that as “James Shields was placed on WAFERS”… Watch out Big Game or you’ll get devoured by Prellers massive appetite for mediocrity
Big Shame*