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Waiver Trade Candidates

Waiver Trade Candidates: NL Central

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The NL Central picture: the Reds and Cardinals are in the race, and the Brewers, Astros, Cubs, and Pirates are out.  Waiver trade candidates:

Reds closer Francisco Cordero will probably clear waivers, though he's unlikely to change teams.  I view Bronson Arroyo as a similar case.  The Reds could use the depth Aaron Harang will provide when he returns from the disabled list from back spasms, though the chance to shed the remainder of his contract would be appealing.

Newly acquired Cardinal Jake Westbrook might clear waivers, not that he'll be dealt again.  Kyle Lohse should make it through, if he returns from forearm surgery this month.  Skip Schumaker, signed at $2.7MM for next year, could clear waivers as well.

The Brewers should expect Randy Wolf, Trevor Hoffman, David Riske, and LaTroy Hawkins to clear waivers.  Perhaps GM Doug Melvin will try to place the a few of the relievers with contenders.  Dave Bush and Jim Edmonds are two who might be claimed.

The Astros can count on Carlos Lee, Pedro Feliz, and Brandon Lyon clearing waivers.  Most likely Brian Moehler, Tim Byrdak, and Geoff Blum will clear as well.  Perhaps one of the cheaper veterans will be dealt.

A host of Cubs figure to clear waivers: Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, Kosuke Fukudome, and Derrek Lee.  Of that group I'd say Fukudome has the best chance of going.  Aramis Ramirez may get through.  He was starting to heat up but recently aggravated a thumb injury.  There's a good chance Xavier Nady clears waivers and is traded.

The Pirates don't have many moderate-sized contracts; newly-acquired Chris Snyder could get through waivers.  Ryan Doumit should also clear once he returns from the DL, and he does appear to be a trade candidate.

For our primer on the waiver trade process, click here.

Waiver Trade Candidates: NL West

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The current NL West picture: the Padres hold a slim lead over the Giants and the Rockies and Dodgers are playoff contenders, too. The Diamondbacks haven't been close to contention for months. Here are some waiver trade possibilities to keep in mind:

Padres bench player Matt Stairs, who was traded two Augusts ago, could clear waivers in spite of his $700K contract because of his .590 OPS. Scott Hairston could see reduced playing time with Ryan Ludwick around and it's possible that his $2.45MM salary would clear waivers. Hairston has a .235/.316/.390 line in 2010.

Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand would both clear waivers, but Zito is an important part of San Francisco's rotation. Rowand has $27MM remaining on his contract, but is hitting just .252/.302/.405. The Giants have enough outfielders to give the 32-year-old up, but no team would claim Rowand given his salary. Edgar Renteria is hitting .284/.346/.376, but he's making $9MM this year, so he could clear waivers. The Giants, who have a club option for Renteria's services in 2011, could get by without him. It's possible that Todd Wellemeyer would clear waivers given his 5.52 ERA, but his $1MM salary is affordable. The Giants have bullpen depth, so they would likely consider parting with Wellemeyer, who is finishing a rehab stint.

Manny Ramirez earns $20MM this year, but the White Sox and Rays showed interest in him last month. Manny could definitely clear waivers in late August if he returns from his calf strain, so he is a player to watch. George Sherrill cleared waivers recently, so teams clearly don't think he's worth his $4.5MM salary. He hasn't pitched well this season, so he will be available. Like Stairs, Garret Anderson would likely clear waivers despite his modest salary ($550K) because of his poor production (.484 OPS).

The Rockies have waiver trade candidates galore, from relievers Rafael Betancourt, Joe Beimel and Randy Flores to bats like Brad Hawpe to role players like Jason Giambi and Melvin Mora. Aaron Cook, who went to the hospital this weekend after getting hit on the foot with a line drive, could appeal to contenders. He'd have to prove he's healthy first, but Cook makes $9MM this year with $9.75MM or more remaining afterwards, so he'd likely clear waivers. He has pitched to a 5.08 ERA this year, but contenders could have interest if his foot is fine and the Rockies keep fading.

Diamondbacks first baseman Adam LaRoche makes a reasonable $4.5MM this year, so it's possible that someone would claim him. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the D'Backs trade LaRoche given the many deals they've already made. Chris Young and Stephen Drew are making reasonable salaries, so they will probably be staying put.

For our primer on the waiver trade process, click here.

Waiver Trade Candidates: NL East

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The current NL East situation: the Braves and Phillies are in contention, the Marlins and Mets are in the gray area, and the Nationals are out of it.  Waiver trade candidates:

The Braves would have to consider letting Derek Lowe's contract go if he's claimed.  Kenshin Kawakami is more likely, as he has a more modest $6.667MM salary for 2011 and is currently in the bullpen.  The Braves tried to trade Kawakami over the past month, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  Nate McLouth's stock is way down, as he's trying to rebuild value in Triple A.  He's getting $6.25MM next year, plus another $1.25MM for a 2012 buyout.

Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge are two Phillies who'd likely clear waivers.  I also wouldn't be surprised to see Danys Baez and Greg Dobbs make it through.  The Phillies' attempts to free up payroll might have to wait until the offseason though.

The Marlins might be able to move Cody Ross, depending on which team wins a claim.  Wes Helms is another trade candidate.

Though he's not going anywhere, Mets pitcher Johan Santana should clear waivers.  Carlos Beltran, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jason Bay are similar stories, though Bay can't pass through waivers until he returns from the DL.  Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, Jeff Francoeur, Alex Cora, and Ryota Igarashi should clear with ease.  Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco, and Pedro Feliciano are trade candidates with value who could go if the Mets fall further out of contention, though Barajas would have to return from the DL first.

Could the Nationals trade Adam Dunn, especially if he slips to Type B status?  Dunn's been dealt in August before, but the Reds didn't seem to value him the way the Nationals do.  The Nats should see Jason Marquis, Willie Harris, and Wil Nieves clear waivers, while Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, Miguel Batista, and Livan Hernandez could land with contenders.

For our primer on the waiver trade rules, click here.

Waiver Trade Candidates: AL West

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The current AL West picture: the Rangers hold a wide lead, the Angels and Athletics are on the fringe of contention, and the Mariners are out of it.  Waiver trade candidates:

The Rangers could consider moving Rich Harden, though the righty came off the DL on Saturday and had a fine start.  Even with Derek Holland lurking in Triple A, though, I think it makes sense to maintain the depth.  Scott Feldman, recently shifted to the bullpen, could clear waivers.

Angels veterans Bobby Abreu, Brian Fuentes, Hideki Matsui, Fernando Rodney, Scot Shields, and Juan Rivera could all clear waivers, in my estimation.  The relievers could generate interest, though.

Athletics assistant GM David Forst recently told ESPN's Jayson Stark they're seriously considering "bringing back the same 25 guys next year."  Forst may not have meant that literally, but it doesn't appear they'll dump contracts.

As for the Mariners, Milton Bradley figures to clear waivers if he returns from the DL this month.  Chone Figgins might clear too, but if he's claimed the Ms have to at least consider bailing on his contract.  Jack Wilson might get through, with $5MM owed next year.  Same goes for Casey Kotchman, a non-tender candidate after the season.  Jose Lopez isn't too expensive, so he might be claimed.  I imagine Russell Branyan would be claimed as well.  Various lightly-paid Mariners veterans could be moved in minor deals: Jamey Wright, Mike Sweeney, Josh Bard, and Ryan Langerhans come to mind.

For our primer on the waiver trade rules, click here.

Waiver Trade Candidates: AL Central

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The current AL Central picture: the White Sox and Twins are contenders, the Tigers are in the gray area, and the Royals and Indians are out of it.  Waiver trade possibilities:

It's been an up-and-down year for White Sox closer Bobby Jenks; would he be claimed despite a $7.5MM salary?  Would the Sox pull him back?  I'd expect Scott Linebrink and Mark Teahen to clear waivers, although deals seem unlikely.  Mark Kotsay and Tony Pena could be expendable in minor trades.

Twins such as Nick Punto, Nick Blackburn, and Brendan Harris should clear waivers, though Punto can't pass through until he returns from the DL.

Brandon Inge may return from the DL from a broken hand this week, and probably would clear waivers.  Carlos Guillen, dealing with a calf strain, should clear if he returns from the DL this month.  Jeremy Bonderman, Johnny Damon, Jhonny Peralta, Gerald Laird, and Brad Thomas are others who might make it through waivers.  If the Tigers are out of it and one of these players is claimed, trimming a few hundred thousand dollars might be appealing.

Royals righty Gil Meche will attempt to finish the season as a reliever rather than undergo shoulder surgery, but it's hard to say if he'll return from the DL this month.  Jose Guillen is a lock to clear, and perhaps a deal can be worked out.  We'll be curious to see what happens when Yuniesky Betancourt, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies, Willie Bloomquist, Wilson Betemit, and Bruce Chen hit the wire.  Bloomquist may go.

The Indians' Travis Hafner will clear waivers and stay put, if he's activated from the DL for should inflammation later this month.

For our primer on the waiver trade process, click here.

Waiver Trade Candidates: AL East

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Last year, Ronnie Belliard, Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, Scott Kazmir, Jon Rauch, Billy Wagner, Bill Hall, Ivan Rodriguez, Aubrey Huff, Alex Gonzalez, David Weathers, Carl Pavano, Chad Gaudin, and Gregg Zaun were traded in August.  Alex Rios and Russ Springer also changed teams as waiver claims.  Here's our primer on the rules.  Let's take a look at candidates to be traded or claimed in 2010, starting with the AL East.

The Orioles traded Miguel Tejada and Will Ohman last week, but kept Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott.  Both could be moved, but the O's don't have an obvious replacement for Wigginton.  Scott is under team control through 2012, and dealing him in August would limit the trade talks to the one team winning the claim.  Jeremy Guthrie isn't going anywhere.  Kevin Millwood will probably clear waivers, as he's earning $12MM and has given up five earned runs in each of his last five starts.  Cesar Izturis could be dealt if the Orioles don't mind starting Julio Lugo at shortstop the rest of the year.  Mark Hendrickson has been better against lefties than Ohman or Javier Lopez; I'm surprised there wasn't more July interest.

The Red Sox discussed sending Mike Lowell to the Yankees via the Rangers on Friday, reported Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Lowell would clear waivers, and Rosenthal feels that the Phillies, Rays, and Twins are potential matches.  The Sox seemed willing to part with Manny Delcarmen in July; he could be claimed by a non-contending AL team willing to tender him a contract for 2011.

If Nick Johnson somehow takes a positive turn and comes off the DL this month, perhaps the Yankees would look to move him.  Marcus Thames could be the odd man out with Austin Kearns now in the fold.

The Rays optioned Dioner Navarro to Triple A in June and could try to move the remainder of his $2.1MM salary.  Lance Cormier or Gabe Kapler could be dumped if the Rays find suitable replacements.

One Blue Jay certain to clear waivers is Vernon Wells, even though his power has returned this year.  Lyle Overbay is a reasonable trade candidate, though the Jays seemingly didn't get too far in July discussions.  Edwin Encarnacion already cleared waivers in June.  Brian Tallet has handled lefties well, and will probably clear waivers given his $2MM salary.  Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Kevin Gregg, and John Buck will probably be retained for future draft pick compensation.

Waiver Trade Candidates: National League

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Yesterday, we wrote about waiver trade candidates for the American League.  Despite the post title, I tried to be more comprehensive and list all of the players who I think might clear waivers.  That’s why players such as Derek Jeter and Michael Young were named.  I know they won’t be traded this month, but they could still go unclaimed if placed on waivers given their large contracts.

Also, as one reader pointed out yesterday, a player does not have to clear waivers to be traded.  He can be traded to or dumped upon the team that wins the claim, if there is one.

Here are the NL players who might clear waivers this month, generally excluding injured players.

  • Phillies: Brett Myers, Adam Eaton, Tom Gordon, Geoff Jenkins, So Taguchi.  Maybe Taguchi could go in a minor deal.  Myers makes $12MM next year, but the Phillies would probably prefer to keep him and get him back on track.
  • Marlins: Wes Helms, Mark Hendrickson.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see one of these two guys moved.
  • Mets: Johan Santana, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, Luis Castillo.  We know the stars aren’t going anywhere.  Pedro and Castillo are especially likely to clear but aren’t coveted players.
  • Braves: Mike Hampton, Mark Kotsay.  The Braves would have to eat all of the remaining $4.6MM to move Hampton.
  • Nationals: Austin Kearns, Dmitri Young.  Both are signed through ’09, and teams won’t want to take that on.
  • Cubs: Alfonso Soriano, Jason Marquis, Bob Howry, Scott Eyre, Jon Lieber.  Marquis still has $11.8MM coming to him through ’09.
  • Brewers: Eric Gagne, Jeff Suppan, Ray Durham, Bill Hall, David Riske, Guillermo Mota. The Brewers have some undesirable contracts on the books.
  • Cardinals: Chris Carpenter, Jason Isringhausen, Adam Kennedy, Cesar Izturis.  In general, most contenders probably won’t be shipping off veterans.
  • Astros: Miguel Tejada, Carlos Lee, Kaz Matsui, Randy Wolf, Jose Valverde, LaTroy Hawkins, Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus.  Multiple candidates to clear waivers, though the Astros still have their eye on the prize.
  • Reds: Adam Dunn, Francisco Cordero, Bronson Arroyo, Jeremy Affeldt, Corey Patterson, Javier Valentin, Matt Belisle, Josh Fogg.  I’d be surprised to see Dunn get through waivers unclaimed, even though the Reds still owe him $3.9MM.  Keeping him now makes the most sense anyway.
  • Pirates: Freddy Sanchez, Jason Michaels, Jose Bautista, Chris Gomez, Doug Mientkiewicz.  The Pirates don’t have any massive, ugly contracts on the books.  Sanchez’s remaining $7.9MM through ’09 is the worst.
  • Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson.  Nothing too ugly on the books here aside from the Eric Byrnes contract, which runs through 2010.
  • Dodgers: Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones, Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal, Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra, Juan Pierre, Angel Berroa, Pablo Ozuna.  I’m sure the Dodgers wouldn’t mind unloading Jones or Pierre to clear up the outfield a bit.
  • Rockies: Todd Helton, Kip Wells, Yorvit Torrealba, Willy Taveras, Cory Sullivan, Glendon Rusch.  Helton’s back is still bothering him, not that there’d be interest anyway.
  • Giants: Barry Zito, Randy Winn, Dave Roberts, Omar Vizquel, Rich Aurilia, Brad Hennessey, Kevin Correia, Tyler Walker.  Brian Sabean should be active in trying to unload a few of these contracts.
  • Padres: Greg Maddux, Trevor Hoffman, Tadahito Iguchi, Brett Tomko, Wil Ledezma.  If the Dodgers do try to acquire Maddux, it’s possible another team could claim him just to block the trade.

Waiver Trade Candidates: American League

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5:33pm: I noticed that Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe rattled off a slew of possibilities to clear waivers this month, including Kevin Millar, Rafael Betancourt, Bobby Crosby, Mark Ellis, Alan Embree, and Raul Ibanez.

9:19am: Today let’s take a swing through the American League and identify players who could clear waivers this month.  If a player clears waivers he can be traded to any team for another such player or a prospect not on the 40-man roster.

  • Rays: Trever Miller, Jonny Gomes.  Gomes is already earning $1.275MM this year; he might be a non-tender candidate after the season.  Miller is earning $2MM.  Both are having poor seasons.
  • Red Sox: Jason Varitek, Julio Lugo, Mike Timlin, Alex Cora.  These players should pass through waivers unclaimed, but no one will want to trade for them.  Lugo has $20.8MM remaining on his contract.
  • Yankees: Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Ivan Rodriguez, Carl Pavano.  Many of the Yanks’ high-priced stars could clear waivers, but trading them wouldn’t make sense.  Pavano could be moved in the right situation.
  • Blue Jays: Scott Rolen, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Gregg Zaun.  The Jays don’t seem likely to attempt to unload any of these contracts, except maybe Zaun.  Jon Heyman believes A.J. Burnett could also slip through waivers.
  • Orioles: Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, Ramon Hernandez, Jay Payton, Jamie Walker.  It’s not hard to envision most of these guys clearing waivers, and maybe a few salary dump deals can be worked out.  Huff’s .912 OPS ranks 10th in the AL, and he has about $10.5MM left on his contract through ’09.  I could see a team claiming him.
  • Twins: Michael Cuddyer, Mike Lamb, Adam Everett.  These players should all clear waivers.  Lamb and Everett could become DFA candidates.
  • White Sox: Jim Thome, Ken Griffey Jr., Paul Konerko, Jose Contreras, A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Uribe, Mike MacDougal.  The Sox have plenty of high-priced vets who could make it through waivers.  Konerko would be tough to move given his poor performance and 10-and-5 rights.
  • Tigers: Gary Sheffield, Edgar Renteria, Kenny Rogers, Todd Jones, Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson.  The Tigers are seven games out in the AL Central; a few weeks from now they might look to get some money off the books.
  • Royals: Jose Guillen, Jimmy Gobble, Ross Gload.  Gobble and Gload don’t seem likely to help a contender, while the Royals apparently want to keep Guillen.  Jon Heyman believes Mark Grudzielanek would clear.
  • Indians: Paul Byrd, David Dellucci, Jamey Carroll.  Byrd has almost $2.5MM left on his deal, but we could still see a team put in a claim.  Jon Heyman thinks Byrd will clear waivers.
  • Angels: Garret Anderson, Gary Matthews Jr., Justin Speier.  The Halos have some questionable contracts, but trades are not expected.
  • Rangers: Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Michael Young, Frank Catalanotto, Marlon Byrd.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Catalanotto and/or Byrd moved this month.  Padilla is owed more than $17MM through ’09.  If a team claims that contract maybe the Rangers should let him go.
  • Athletics: Eric Chavez, Emil Brown.  An August deal seems unlikely for the A’s.
  • Mariners: Carlos Silva, Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, Jose Vidro, Kenji Johjima, Miguel Cairo.  All kinds of bad money here.  Washburn has another $13.45MM coming through ’09, but he might be claimed.  Jon Heyman believes Adrian Beltre would also clear waivers.
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