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Justin Upton Claimed On Waivers

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7:46pm: The Rangers are one of several clubs that placed a claim on Upton, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Since they have the best record in the AL, Texas is dead last on the waiver priority list for an NL player.

SATURDAY, 6:48pm: The Red Sox were not the claiming team, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). He reiterates that Upton will not be traded.

FRIDAY: Justin Upton has been claimed on waivers by an unidentified team, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). However, a Diamondbacks official said there's "no chance" of a trade this month.

Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick told reporters last month that it's a "reasonable assumption" that Upton will stay put for the remainder of the season. It's not at all uncommon for teams to determine trade interest by placing players — even stars — on the waiver wire.

Upton will earn $9.75MM in 2013, $14.25MM in 2014 and $14.5MM in 2015. His six-year, $51.25MM contract allows him to block moves to the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians.

The Diamondbacks now have until Sunday to select one of three options. They can let Upton (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. Expect Arizona to pull Upton back off of waivers.

National League teams had claiming priority on Upton, whose teammate, Joe Saunders, cleared waivers today. Upton, 25, has a .273/.356/.397 batting line with nine home runs in 472 plate appearances this year.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Nationals Extend Chad Tracy

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SATURDAY: The deal will pay Tracy $1MM next season according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post (on Twitter). It also includes bonuses for playing time and award finishes.

FRIDAY: The Nationals have agreed to a contract extension with Chad Tracy, manager Davey Johnson told reporters, including Amanda Comak of the Washington Times (on Twitter). The one-year extension will keep the Octagon client in Washington through 2013.

Tracy, 32, returned to the Major Leagues this year after spending the 2011 season in Japan. He has a .283/.353/.517 batting line in 68 plate appearances as a backup corner infielder and pinch hitter. Tracy earns $750K this year, but his 2013 salary is unknown.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Stark On Mariners, Felix, Sizemore, Lohse

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MLB executives tell ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark that they make sure to consider the differences between baseball’s two leagues when evaluating trade candidates. “I think it's safe to say you can look a lot smarter taking a pitcher from the American League to the National League than the other way around," one executive told Stark. Here are some highlights from his latest ESPN.com column:

  • Baseball people expect the Mariners to sign Felix Hernandez long-term instead of trading him, Stark reports. Hernandez is under contract through 2014.
  • Two scouts said they’d recommend signing Grady Sizemore if it doesn’t require much guaranteed money. The outfielder’s season is over and he figures to obtain a one-year, incentive-based contract this winter.
  • One scout said he’d be nervous about trading for Johan Santana given his health issues. The Mets recently shut the left-hander down for the remainder of the season.
  • Cardinals executives have told people they’re going to let Kyle Lohse’s contract situation play itself out. Lohse, who is headed for free agency this offseason, hasn’t had recent contract talks with the team, so it’s a safe bet he’ll hit the open market.

Dodgers Awarded Claim On Adrian Gonzalez

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4:22pm: The Dodgers are "very serious" about trading for Gonzalez and have lots of options, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter).

2:51pm: There’s a growing possibility that the Red Sox will trade Gonzalez to the Dodgers, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports. However, Red Sox officials told Edes they “love Adrian” and are simply exploring all ways of improving their team.

2:12pm: The Red Sox are listening to the Dodgers' trade pitch for Gonzalez, but the chances of a deal being completed are slim, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).

12:52pm: The Dodgers have erased any lingering doubts about their willingness to spend big on impact MLB players. They were awarded the waiver claim on Adrian Gonzalez, the latest in a series of aggressive moves by the team's new ownership group, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The Dodgers and Red Sox now have until Sunday to discuss a possible trade, but August waivers are revocable, so the Red Sox can elect to hold onto Gonzalez.

Alternatively, Boston GM Ben Cherington could work out a trade involving Gonzalez or assign the San Diego native and the $130MM-plus remaining on his contract to the Dodgers. The Dodgers couldn't have won the claiming rights unless every American League team passed on Gonzalez, as well as every National League team with a worse record than Los Angeles.

Gonzalez can’t block a move to the Dodgers, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday. However, the Red Sox would only move Gonzalez in a transformative or franchise-changing move, Ken Rosenthal reported. Boston wouldn't let him go for nothing, Jon Heyman added. Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com asked a Red Sox official if Boston will trade Gonzalez to Los Angeles in the next two days and the person replied 'no' (Twitter link). If the Red Sox are willing to consider trading Gonzalez, they could wait until the offseason and engage more teams.

Gonzalez, the first overall pick in the 2000 draft, will earn $21MM per season through 2016 and obtain a raise to $21.5MM for 2017-18. The total exceeds $130MM when accounting for the remainder of Gonzalez's 2012 salary. The 30-year-old has a .300/.343/.469 batting line with 15 home runs and 37 doubles in 527 plate appearances this year. He would represent a considerable upgrade over James Loney for the Dodgers.

Since taking over at the beginning of the 2012 season team president Stan Kasten and chairman Mark Walter have made it clear that they're willing to spend aggressively. The Dodgers claimed Cliff Lee on waivers earlier this month after trading for Shane Victorino, Hanley Ramirez, Joe Blanton and Brandon League.

Joe Saunders Clears Waivers

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The Diamondbacks can trade Joe Saunders to any team now that he has cleared waivers, John Gambadoro of 620 KTAR in Phoenix reports (Twitter link via Nick Piecoro). The Diamondbacks placed the left-hander on revocable waivers earlier in the week.

Saunders earns $6MM this year — approximately $1.5MM between now and the end of the season — and he will hit free agency this fall. He has posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 130 innings over the course of 21 starts with Arizona in 2012.

The Diamondbacks appear to have enough starting pitching depth to trade Saunders without compromising their chances of contending. Now that he has cleared waivers they can trade him without concerning themselves with waiver restrictions.

Dodgers Awarded Claim On Josh Beckett

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3:48pm: The Dodgers claimed Beckett, McAdam reports (on Twitter). This will create many possibilities for a larger trade involving Adrian Gonzalez.

3:35pm: An unidentified team has claimed right-hander Josh Beckett off of waivers, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reports (all Twitter links). One MLB executive believes the mystery team could be the Dodgers, but that hasn't been confirmed. Beckett can veto any trade or waiver assignment as a player with ten and five rights.

The Red Sox now have until Sunday to select one of three options. They can let Beckett (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. American League teams had claiming priority on Beckett.

McAdam suggests the Red Sox would probably allow the claiming team to take on Beckett and his salary — $15.75MM per season through 2014. He has posted a 5.23 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 127 1/3 innings this year, while facing considerable scrutiny for his on-field performance and off-field actions. The Rangers showed some interest in Beckett leading up to the July 31st trade deadline.

Gonzalez was claimed by the Dodgers today, but reportedly won't be traded unless the Red Sox obtain a substantial return.

Minor Moves: Cubs, Koyie Hill

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Matt Eddy of Baseball America has a complete breakdown of the latest minor league transactions. Here are some highlights…

  • The Cubs released right-hander Frankie de la Cruz, Eddy reports. The 28-year-old posted a 3.80 ERA with more walks (58) than strikeouts (57) in 94 2/3 innings as a starter and reliever at Triple-A this year. Chicago had claimed him off of waivers from the Brewers in March.
  • The Rangers signed veteran catcher Koyie Hill, Eddy reports. The Nationals recently released Hill, who appeared in 11 games with the Cubs this year.

Pirates Claim Hisanori Takahashi

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The Pirates claimed Angels reliever Hisanori Takahashi off of waivers, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter). The left-hander had been sent to Triple-A five days ago.

Takahashi appeared in 42 games for the Angels this year, posting a 4.93 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 42 innings. He signed a two-year, $8MM contract with Los Angeles after the 2010 campaign.

The 37-year-old has held left-handed hitters to a .244/.287/.384 batting line with 9.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in three MLB seasons. Takahashi joins fellow southpaw Tony Watson and right-handers Joel Hanrahan, Jason Grilli, Jared Hughes, Chris Resop and Chad Qualls in the Pirates' bullpen.

Athletics Acquire Jesse Chavez

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The Athletics announced that they acquired right-hander Jesse Chavez from the Blue Jays for cash considerations. Oakland's 40-man roster is now full.

Chavez, 29, posted an 8.44 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays this year before getting designated for assignment. He has spent most of the season starting games at Triple-A, where he has a 3.98 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 95 innings. The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks made the Blue Jays an offer for Chavez earlier this year, but Toronto declined.

Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury On Waivers

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Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury have been placed on revocable waivers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Lester will earn $11.625MM next year and his contract includes a $13MM team option for 2014. Ellsbury will obtain a raise from $8.05MM when he goes to arbitration this offseason. He's on track to hit free agency following the 2013 season.

Teams routinely place players on waivers, even if they don't plan on trading them, so this is not an indication that the Red Sox intend to move Lester and Ellsbury. If they go unclaimed, the Red Sox will be able to complete a trade just as easily as they could have before the current waiver period began at the beginning of August.

If a team claims either Lester or Ellsbury, the Red Sox will have three choices. They can let the player (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. American League teams will have claiming priority on the Red Sox players.

Here’s a recap of which players have cleared waivers, plus a list of players who have been placed on revocable waivers.

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