Not long ago, every August at MLBTR kicked off by reminding longtime MLB fans (or explaining to new fans) how the dizzying rules regarding August trade waivers worked. It was a convoluted process — one that saw nearly every player in the league placed on revocable trade waivers at some point (heavy emphasis on “revocable”) — but one that front offices increasingly used as creative means to pull off significant acquisitions after the supposed “deadline.”
In reality, under the old rules, the first “trade deadline” was never the actual deadline — it just wasn’t as catchy to use the full term, “non-waiver trade deadline.” As time progressed, the month of August increasingly served as a means of swapping out higher-priced talents in waiver trades that were still quite noteworthy. If you’re seeing Justin Verlander, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Donaldson and others change hands in late August, just before the deadline for postseason eligibility, then was July 31 (or, in the case of this year, Aug. 2) really the trade “deadline?” Not so much.
Back in 2019, Major League Baseball opted to quash the ever-growing process of August roster reconstruction. The league put an end to waiver trades that often served as a means of teams hitting the “eject” button on notable contracts and saw larger-payroll clubs take on those deals simply because they possessed the financial wherewithal to do so. MLB implemented a more concrete “true” trade deadline that prohibited players on Major League contracts — or any who had previously been on Major League contracts earlier in the season (i.e. since-outrighted players) — from being traded after the deadline.
Does that mean teams can no longer acquire new players or address injuries as they arise? No, but their avenues to do so are substantially narrower. Here’s a look at how Major League front offices can still augment their roster now that the “true” trade deadline has passed:
1. Trades!
Wait, what? I thought we just–
Yes, we did. But it turns out that the “true” trade deadline is really only the “true” trade deadline for Major League players! Fun how that works, right? In all likelihood, you’ll still see several players change hands this month, they just won’t be very exciting. But, veterans who’ve been playing the entire season on a minor league contract and haven’t at any point been added to the 40-man roster or been on the Major League injured list are still fair game to be traded.
Will you see any huge, blockbuster names flipped? No, but could you see the Rays trade Chase Anderson (4.38 ERA in 74 Triple-A innings this season) or the White Sox trade Dan Winkler (3.60 ERA, 39 strikeouts but also 19 walks in 30 Triple-A frames)? Yes! It just can’t be in exchange for anyone who’s been on the 40-man roster or Major League injured list at any point in 2022.
Last August’s slate of trades saw a handful of recognizable names dealt: Delino DeShields (twice!), Brad Peacock, Dustin Garneau, Mallex Smith, John Axford and Andrew Vasquez were all on the move for either marginal prospects or the ever-popular “cash considerations.”
Just to speculate a bit — and we haven’t really seen this in the past, but it’s technically possible — teams technically can engineer minor league trades, so long as the players involved have not been on the 40-man roster at any point in a given season. It’s doubtful we’ll see any top prospects change hands in this regard, but it’s not expressly forbidden, either.
And, just to rain on your parade, no — teams cannot game the system using players to be named later. The rules pertaining to the “true” trade deadline made sure to include the following language:
“The Commissioner’s Office will prohibit any transaction (or series of transactions) that, in the judgment of the Commissioner’s Office, appears (or appear) designed to circumvent the prohibitions of Rule 9(b).”
Nice try, folks, but don’t get your hopes up.
Just remember, anyone acquired after Aug. 31 isn’t postseason-eligible with his new club, so minor swaps of any relative note will likely take place before the calendar flips to September. (MLBTR has confirmed with a source that despite Opening Day being pushed back and the trade deadline falling two days later than usual in 2022, the postseason eligibility deadline remains 11:59pm ET on Aug. 31.)
It won’t lead to any exciting trades, but we’ll still see some trades this month. You’ll just have to wait until the offseason for the Shohei Ohtani, Pablo Lopez, Sean Murphy, Bryan Reynolds, etc. rumors to fire up.
2. Outright and Release Waivers
Revocable trade waivers are no longer a thing, but regular old outright waivers and release waivers are alive and well. Any time a player is designated for assignment now, the team’s only recourse will be to place him on outright waivers or release waivers. At that point, the other 29 teams will have the opportunity to claim that player … and the entirety of his remaining contract. Of course, a team doesn’t need to announce a DFA or even announce that a player has been put on waivers. It’s fairly common for a team to just announce that a player cleared waivers and was outrighted to a minor league affiliate without ever publicly declaring a DFA.
An important reminder on waivers now that it’s the primary means of acquiring talent from another organization: waiver priority is determined based on overall record (worst record to best record) and, unlike the now-retired “revocable trade waivers,” is not league-specific. If the Nationals want Dinelson Lamet, whom the Brewers designated for assignment this week, they’ll have first crack at claiming him off waivers; if they pass, the A’s are up next. Then the Royals. And so on and so forth.
Teams who didn’t find sufficient interest in veteran players prior to the trade deadline and thus held onto them could eventually place those players on outright waivers in August, hoping another club will claim said player and simply spare the waiving team some cash. This is likelier to happen late in the month — when there’s less cash owed on those veteran contracts. We did see a handful of these moves just last year. The Giants claimed Jose Quintana from the Angels. The Reds claimed Asdrubal Cabrera from the D-backs. This could also be viewed as a means of granting a veteran player on a non-contender the opportunity to join a postseason race.
As with any minor league trades, players claimed off waivers will only be postseason-eligible with their new club if claimed before 11:59pm ET on Aug. 31.
3. Sign Free Agents
Same as ever. Anyone who gets released or rejects an outright assignment in favor of free agency will be able to sign with a new team and, so long as the deal is wrapped up prior to Sept. 1, they’ll be postseason-eligible with a new team. It’s certainly feasible that a once-productive veteran enjoys a hot streak with a new club or fills a useful part-time role. Some team with suspect outfield depth and/or defense is probably going to sign Jackie Bradley Jr. for his glove alone once he inevitably becomes a free agent in a few days (no one is claiming the remainder of his $9.5MM salary and the $8MM option buyout on his contract). Didi Gregorius was just cut loose by the Phillies. Others will follow suit.
One key name to consider: former Mets All-Star Michael Conforto. The 29-year-old didn’t sign a contract last offseason after rejecting a qualifying offer, and it was eventually revealed that a shoulder injury sustained during MLB’s lockout period ultimately required surgery. Now that the amateur draft has passed, a team would no longer need to forfeit any draft picks to sign him. Agent Scott Boras said back in May that there was a chance Conforto could be Major League-ready by September, and Boras said after the draft that he’d heard from four clubs regarding Conforto. Whether a team actually signs Conforto, of course, will be dependent on the state of that surgically repaired shoulder.
Outside of Conforto it might be unlikely that this avenue results in acquiring an impact playoff contributor — but it also can’t be ruled out. The Braves’ acquisition of Eddie Rosario at last year’s trade deadline isn’t directly analogous, but Rosario was effectively dumped in the Braves’ lap for salary relief after hitting .254/.296/.389 in Cleveland. He spent several weeks on the injured list, then returned with one of the most torrid heaters of his notoriously streaky career, culminating in NLCS MVP honors. Yes, that’s a trade, but we’ll still see teams hoping to “salary dump” veterans in similar fashion.
Point being: just as Rosario did, a veteran hitter who has underwhelmed elsewhere can still play a key role in a postseason push and even in a playoff series. Cody Ross can probably still eat and drink for free in San Francisco for the rest of his life.
4. Scour the Independent Leagues
Roll your eyes all you want, but the Atlantic League, Frontier League and American Association (among other indie circuits) are all teeming with former big leaguers. Need a speedy fourth outfielder who can provide some late-game defense and baserunning during September roster expansion? A platoon bat off the bench? An extra southpaw to stash in the bullpen? There will be experienced names to consider.
Matt Adams has 21 homers in 306 plate appearances with the Kansas City Monarchs. His teammate, former Tigers/Red Sox lefty Matt Hall, has a 1.24 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 51 innings. Fellow lefty Tyler Webb has had similar success with the Long Island Ducks.
Granted, teams aren’t likely to find a true impact player on the indie scene, but then again, people cracked jokes when the 2015 Red Sox signed then-35-year-old Ducks lefty Rich Hill. Seven years, 737 Major League innings and nearly $70MM later, Hill has the last laugh.
5. Look to Foreign Leagues
We don’t often see players return from the KBO, NPB or CPBL to sign with big league clubs midseason, but there’s precedent for it happening. There are also quite a few former big leaguers playing down in the Mexican League, creating another area for front offices to scout as they mine for depth options. Interest won’t be limited solely to former big leaguers, either. Back in June, the Mariners signed lefty Brennan Bernardino after a strong nine-start run in Mexico, watched him dominate through 12 2/3 innings in Triple-A Tacoma, and selected him to the Major League roster by the end of July. He made his MLB debut with Seattle on July 31. You never know.
Great post, Steve. A good reminder for some of those teams teetering the edge who are hoping their teams won’t stop adding talent just because the deadline passed. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Mariners swing a minor trade for Chase Anderson. We could use another depth starter… just in case.
Absolutely a great post. Much appreciated Steve.
My sentiments exactly. Great post!
Steve do you know why I keep getting a error message and then some of my posts show some don’t? I don’t think I have been booted have I?
Anaheim should be reading this with their eyes taped open to try to find a way to trade Ohtani ASAP (his value dropped significantly with the end of the trade deadline).
There is zero way to trade Shohei Ohtani until the offseason.
Good article- their loss.
How about… they put him on outright waivers, pay all the teams with waiver priority over the team they are trying to trade him to money under the table to not claim him, let the team they are trying to trade him to claim him, let the claim go through, then in the offseason make a separate unrelated trade of prospects to the Angels for cash considerations in the amount of $1.
“The Commissioner’s Office will prohibit any transaction (or series of transactions) that, in the judgment of the Commissioner’s Office, appears (or appear) designed to circumvent the prohibitions of Rule 9(b).”
jim- If this were even allowed and I was running a team they’re trying to pay off, it would take A LOT of money for me to cancel my claim on him. We’re talking tens of millions. I would rather him stay in Anaheim than make a contending team better.
Some teams just aren’t capable of playing by the rules.
I think that rule was added for GMs and owners who think like Jim…
Same with U.S. politicians…
Why do you have to bring the Astros up?
Besides, Shohei Ohtani is staying with the Halos anyway.
lol
Capt Do you really think he is as afraid/dumb/poorly advised as Mike Trout? You pick one or any combination of choices above to explain why Trout resigned with the Angels. The Angels are not making the playoffs in the near future.
Basically zero chance Ohtani’s with Anaheim after 2023.
Ohtani should have come to Seattle. This being afraid to follow in another Japanese player footprints was a bit odd. Almost like he was afraid of his success or lack of. Seattle has a good fan base in Japan it would have been a perfect fit.
I hope he wasn’t afraid of Kikuchi that was the wrong player to get. They at least structured his contract smart. Maybe the Angels can trade him and f the Ms can trade for him from that team. I know there is less than a 1% chance it happens would be funny though. Anyway he should have come here first.
Ohtani still holds value for the Angels in the form of revenue.
I believe this is why he was not traded at the deadline. He worth a few bucks to angels
Very educational – thank you for writing that
“Wait, what? I thought we just– “
Well played, Steve Adams.
I have been refreshing this site in the hope that the Nats do in fact sign Dinelson Lamet. I think this is the kind of person they need to take a flier on, especially because he can be controlled beyond this season.
Any rebuilding team should take a flyer on him. I can see a good fit with my Cubs.
That makes two of us. Seeing him ending up in Colorado just miffs me as a Nationals fan – especially with the ceiling he has based on his current age. I should assume Rizzo did his homework. If Lamet puts 15+ wins next season, Rizzo should be shown the door.
Rockies claimed Lamet.
Farhan did some dumpster diving last year. But had no patience. Pittsburg swooped in and flipped Quintana for 2 lottery tickets. Apparently Pittsburg GM > Giants GM/President
Pittsburgh is spelled with an “h”
We’re not here for a refresher course on waiver claims. We’re just here to hit on chicks.
My favorite August trade waiver story came from the Pirates. They had an old GM who was not very good at his job and should have retired years earlier.
In August, he placed his whole team on waivers, but somehow also put his top minor league organizational prospect on irrevocable waivers.
The Phillies jumped in and made the claim and stole Pittsburgh’s #1 prospect for nothing, because the GM messed up.
Might be online somewhere – look up the story of Wes Chamberlain for the Phillies/Pirates.
Wes Chamberlain was traded by Pittsburgh to Philadelphia for Carmelo Martinez. Are you sure you have the right player?
The story that year wasn’t Chamberlain it was PIT sending Moises Alou to MON (as a PTBNL) 2 weeks after trading for Zane Smith.
Wes was traded so he wasn’t put through irrevocable waivers. PHI probably claimed him on regular waivers, PIT pulled him back (revocable) and worked out the trade. That’s how many deals were done before the rigid deadline.
Not true. Chamberlain was put on irrevocable waivers. The Pirate GM begged Ed Wade and Philly’s front office to send him something for Chamberlain to save face. They sent him some bag of balls to help him try to keep his job.
It didn’t work. It was widely reported at the time about how he accidently put his #1 prospect on irrevocable waivers accidentally.
Yep your right I finally found an article. Good memory.
So if Lefty could convince the Orioles to sign Jackie Bradley Jr, they could, but if they make the Wildcard, they can’t use him.
Correct?
I believe as long as he is in the organization by August 31 he can, but what on earth would the orioles Jackie Bradley for?
@Indians Joe, because he is still an excellent outfielder, but his OBP is dreadful, I know, but still I think he has some value.
As long as they sign him before Aug. 31, sure, he could be in a postseason game. If he’s signed on Sept. 1 or later, then no.
What is the time zone for that deadline?
Midnight the time the regular one should be on August 31st. Also if DFA should be able to work out a Trade but only for non 40 man guys.
Or do the Padres get three more hours than the Mets to make a deal?
@Captain, the Dealine is EST, so get up early.
Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.
I believe a September call-up could play if there were a one-game tie-breaker for a division or wildcard spot because it would technically be considered part of the regular season. Also, this may apply to players who are on the 40-man roster as of Aug. 31 at 11:59pm ET, but a player who was not on the active roster as of that time and who was not on a playoff roster for a particular series could be added to the playoff roster in case of emergency due to injury. It happened in October 2015 when the Mets’ Ruben Tejada broke his leg after the slide by Chase Utley. Matt Reynolds, who had not been on the active roster that season, was activated to take his place on the roster. Reynolds didn’t get into a game as far as I can remember, but he was on the 2015 playoff roster.
Actually, Matt Reynolds was not on the 40-man roster but was in the organization: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2015/10/12/9511417/mets-postseason-roster-ruben-tejada-tim-stauffer-dodgers
@Lefty_Orioles_Fan; JB Jr would be a sweet add on for Os. Agreed. But, probably not happening because of Brett Phillips addition?
I always find this time of year kind of sad, especially if my team isn’t in contention (which it isn’t). Prior to the trade deadline, at least you can still have hope that your team will move vets for prospects. But once it’s over, there isn’t much to really think about until the off-season.
Sure there is. If your team is actually rebuilding, they will start calling up the future. Players that garnered no interest at the deadline will now be benched or jettisoned if they are not part of the future. Young, hopefully exciting, players will be called up and get the playing time. The Tigers were able to move Grossman, but Baddoo would have taken much of his playing time if they hadnt. No need to hope he shows some sign of life by playing him, since it won’t help his value any longer.
With the utmost respect to ALL MLBTR writers, I so much enjoy your articles, Steve. You have the ability to add your own flavor without taking away from the piece in question.
You’re like the chef who knows how to add the right amount of garlic.
Cheers to you and all others today.
The Brewers could sure use a healthy Conforto right now. That Hader trade looks like it blew up in the team’s face, in terms of a weaker bullpen and an unhappy clubhouse, without doing anything to shore up the team’s weaknesses on offense. I haven’t seen our forgiving fan base this unhappy during the Stearns era.
Just wait until Lamet takes the mound. All will be forgiven then!
Brewers should bring up Estuery Ruiz and play him in CF every day. Guy runs like deer and has pop, too. CF has been a hole for the Brewers all year. Ruiz’s big zone coverage will makes things easier on Renfroe and Yelich.
Might happen since we don’t have anything on the current roster to show for the Hader trade except Rogers. If he was any good he’d still be in Minneapolis.
Nice game by Lauer last night. Sure wish Urias would get hot. BABIP gods must be working against him. For a guy who makes a lot of contact and puts the ball in play, that BA is woeful. Hope last year wasn’t an aberration.
Lastly, doubt Yelich is ever gonna hit for power again or put up anything close to his two stellar seasons. Chronic back and knee issues. I’m sure he wasn’t given all those dollars to be a lead off hitter.
Boras can use a healthy Conforto now. But Boras’s words ring a little hollow.
@Indiansjoe/Guardiansjoe- I never asked you. Do you like the Indians/Guardians playoff chances this season. Lmk. I know your a die hard like @hockeyjohn- I miss talking smack with you guys. Lol. Seriously.
I would love to see Big City make it back to the Big Leagues.
Me too! As a Cardinals fan, I have good memories of Adams playing for the “Bird on the Bat”.
As a Dodger fan I have bad memories of that…
From the minor leaguers perspective, that would Leave the “lightning in a bottle” group of former bug leaguers like jimmy Cordero and Richard Rodriguez with Scranton and Daniel Palka and Nick Dini with Syracuse as possibilities to trade.
Very informative. Thanks.
So I understand that PTBNLs can’t be used to circumvent the trading rules for MLB players, but are PTBNL trades still allowed for legitimate use (i.e. the PTBNL is an actual minor leaguer who hasn’t been on a 40-man roster all season)? Or are PTBNLs banned outright at this point in the season? Not to split hairs or anything, I was just curious.
Thank you as I had been trying to figure this out.
Christmas may be over but we can still have fun
Excellent article. This was a joy to read.
Great post steve..Fun read too
So, for waiver claims the order is based on poorest record. Is that the record at the time of the waiver? Or the record a few days later when all the claims are in?
For example the A’s might have the second worst record right now but that could change depending on game results over the next few days.
I’d wager a sawbuck it’s based on the record when the player is placed on waivers, probably retroactive to the last completed day of games.
Great post…Thanks Steve
I miss the old way.
Michael Ynoa has a 3.00 era in 24 innings in the Mexican league. He’s only 30
And Julio Franco is still in his 30s too lol.
Great article, but I enjoyed the old waiver/claim/trade system. It was a game within a game.
Also exposed the people on here who had no idea what they were talking about. I remember people saying that the Dodgers would have to attach top prospects to get rid of Yasiel Puig even though Puig was claimed on waivers which means the Dodgers could have dumped him and what was left of his contract on the claiming team, if they wanted.
So, the commissioner’s office was concerned about salary dumps to big-money clubs, but isn’t concerned about the inequities of revenue and salaries throughout the rest of the year??? Strangely selective, I’d say
One of the best and most informative posts I’ve seen on here. Great job Steve Adams.
Excellent article thoroughly explaining the process in a down to earth and legible manner. Kudos!
Get rid of the restrictions to trades. Teams should be able to freely trade all the time, even during the playoffs.
Second it meaning all year round because do it in Out of the Park Baseball.
I guess the easiest way is for a team to just release a player. If the salary isn’t too high, the claiming team will pick up the tab. Maybe others who have an expiring but hefty contract could switch teams? After all, the acquiring team would only have to pay, say, 45 to 60 days of his contract.
And there’s the, “Let’s release a veteran good soldier and give him a shot at the playoffs or a WS.”.
Reds should do that with Farmer. Rockies with Blackmon and Nats with Cesar Hernandez should do likewise.
If a team releases a player at this point in the season, they’re responsible for all the remaining guaranteed money on his contract. If he signs with another team, they only have to pay a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum because he’s still being paid by the team that released him. Termination pay only happens at the beginning of the season, and I think it only applies to arbitration contracts.
A team to look out for is the Guardians. They have right now 6 guys on their 40 who have yet to debut (Noel, Valera, Rocchio, Tena, Morris, Vargas), and came into the year with 14. They’ve also debuted 12 guys and have the youngest team in the league. They’re the youngest team in the league and they have a further 40 man crunch coming this offseason. 8 of their current top 30 prospects as ranked by MLB Pipeline will be Rule V eligible, each with a good chance to be taken if not added to the 40 and protected. (Those are: SPs Joey Cantillo, Peyton Battenfield, Ethan Hankins, and Xzavion Curry ; C Bo Naylor, SS Angel Martinez, RP Nick Mikolajchak, CF Will Brennan)
To alleviate this crunch, a sensible thing to do would be to trade a couple of the guys who will need to be added for prospects who are a year or two further away from needing protection. That kind of trade can happen after the August 2 deadline.
Great writing Steve! One question remains for me unless I missed it. What’s the difference between outright waivers and release waivers?