Thread: Twins on Waivers?

Now that the trade deadline has come and passed, it's time to wonder about waivers. Now, when a player is DFAd, he is taken off the 40 man roster, and can be claimed by any team who would get him right away. Or, of course, they could work out a trade.

In August, players can be put on Revocable Waivers. Remember that for a 40 man roster player to be traded after July 31, he has to clear waivers. This is what that refers to. Teams put most of their players on waivers in an attempt for them to clear waivers.

IF they clear waivers, they are still on the 40 man roster and can be traded.

If they are claimed, the Twins have a couple of choices.

First, they could let the claiming team have him and his remaining contract.
Second, they get 48 hours to work out a trade with the team that claimed said player.
Third, the team could pull the player back from waivers.

Example - If the Twins put Joe Mauer on waivers now and the Seattle Mariners claimed him... the Twins could 1.) let the Mariners have him and the 7 years and $150+ million that he's owned, 2.) they could try to work out a trade with each other, or 3.) the Twins could (and would) pull him back.

Now, at that point, the Twins could put the player back on waivers... However, this time, if this player is claimed, they can not pull him back.

With those rules in play, and knowing that most players get put on waivers once, it will be interesting to see who gets claimed.

Would Joe Mauer get claimed by a team, assuming that the Twins would pull him back, but be willing to take on the contract if he weren't?

It's actually a very interesting part of the business side of the game...

Would get claimed - Span, Revere, Willingham, Plouffe, Mauer, Morneau, Parmelee, Dozier, Doumit, Burton, Perkins, Diamond, Burnett...

It should be an interesting month!

Mauer won't get put on waivers, the fallout from that becoming public would be bad to say the least.

Virtually everybody else could be though. We still may see a few moves yet...

And sometimes teams claim players to keep another team from having that option. But it is a risk (Rios, for example, one year). The bigger question...if a team claimed Mauer...would you let them have him?

Obviously it doesn't matter, since the Twins would pull him back... but I don't think Mauer would get claimed. Who do you think would claim him? Yankees and Red Sox have both been firm about not adding payroll. Mauer has had a very good season, but I dont think anyone would jump at the chance to pay a singles hitting 1B $150 million over the next 7 years.

The Twins will probably put their whole roster on waivers (as will the rest of the league) for no other reason than to mask who it is that they are trying to move. The hope is that a guy like Span gets claimed by the Reds and a trade is worked out, or else falls through completely.

I'm not so sure that Morneau, what with another year and $20 million on his contract, wouldn't clear waivers.

Originally Posted by Boom Boom

I'm not so sure that Morneau, what with another year and $20 million on his contract, wouldn't clear waivers.

I think the Dodgers are the only ones who would possibly make a claim.

question-- if option 2 is selected does the claiming team need to offer players who also have cleared waivers?

I would expect that a large portion of MLB player will be placed on trade waivers. It seems like many players are put on waivers just to gauge the interest of other clubs. I don't think Mauer will be placed on waivers, and if he were and was claimed, he almost certainly would be pulled back immediately.

I'm betting that Pavano probably clears waivers and Capps is probably claimed, if he goes out and has a few good outings in early August.

Originally Posted by SpiritofVodkaDave

I think the Dodgers are the only ones who would possibly make a claim.

I don't think it's impossible... but I also don't think many, if any teams want to take the chance that the Twins could just let them take on Morneau's contract.

rileyroy - My recollection is that, yes, anyone on the claiming team's 40 man roster that they would want to send back in trade would have had to clear waivers first. Then again, the Twins would have a very early waiver claim on any AL player so they could, in turn, claim said player and then work out the trade. Minor leaguers not on the 40 man roster don't have to clear waivers, though, which is why many August trades are for prospects (or organizational minor leaguers).

James - Capps and Pavano are interesting cases. Do the Twins send them through waivers immediately when it's unlikely anyone would claim them prior to seeing whether they can actually pitch, which would allow the Twins to trade them to anyone once they've cleared waivers? Or would they wait until they've proven healthy enough to pitch quasi-effectively with the hope someone WOULD claim them so the Twins could simply let them go to anyone willing to relieve the Twins of the rest of their contracts? Not sure which is the better strategy at this point. Then again, I'm not even sure whether you can put someone who's on the DL on waivers.

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

Would get claimed - Span, Revere, Willingham, Plouffe, Mauer, Morneau, Parmelee, Dozier, Doumit, Burton, Perkins, Diamond, Burnett...

Now, if that happens, the Twins would have some very interesting choice to make... This season Morneau has been a 0.5 WAR player (could end up 0.8-1.2 realistically); who knows what he will be next season? I doubt that he will be a 5 WAR player. If he is 2 (which assumes improvement over this season but still realistic), someone like Parmelee could cover about half of that. So they would pay $14 Million for 1 WAR. Too much. I think that money could probably work better on pitching.

(On the other hand, the Twins do not think that way)

Obviously they wouldn't put any player making league minimum on waivers as there really isn't any point.

Originally Posted by thrylos98

Now, if that happens, the Twins would have some very interesting choice to make... This season Morneau has been a 0.5 WAR player (could end up 0.8-1.2 realistically); who knows what he will be next season? I doubt that he will be a 5 WAR player. If he is 2 (which assumes improvement over this season but still realistic), someone like Parmelee could cover about half of that. So they would pay $14 Million for 1 WAR. Too much. I think that money could probably work better on pitching.

(On the other hand, the Twins do not think that way)

Huh. Never really thought of it that way. Good point.

Originally Posted by thrylos98

Now, if that happens, the Twins would have some very interesting choice to make... This season Morneau has been a 0.5 WAR player (could end up 0.8-1.2 realistically); who knows what he will be next season? I doubt that he will be a 5 WAR player. If he is 2 (which assumes improvement over this season but still realistic), someone like Parmelee could cover about half of that. So they would pay $14 Million for 1 WAR. Too much. I think that money could probably work better on pitching.

(On the other hand, the Twins do not think that way)

I had never thought of this that way either.

Jim-

I have a hard time thinking that anyone would claim Pavano after basically not pitching all year. I think they should pretty much send him through waivers right away (I think you can put them through waivers, but they can't be officially traded without consent from the commissioner).

As for Capps, I think that clubs would look at how he's performed this year and there would be a contending team that would take a chance on him and claim him. Since the teams only have 48 hours to make a trade, I would think that the Twins would want him healthy and have thrown a few games to show that he is healthy and improve his value some. That's just my guess. It seems like contending clubs are pretty willing to make trades for relievers in August. Once again, this is just my guess.

Originally Posted by Fire Dan Gladden

Mauer won't get put on waivers, the fallout from that becoming public would be bad to say the least.

Virtually everybody else could be though. We still may see a few moves yet...

It probably wouldn't become public, unless they actually got rid of him. In theory, the waiver wire is "secret". Nobody outside the organizations, and probably very few WITHIN the organizations know for sure who is sent through waivers and who isn't, unless a transaction actually happens. I don't think they even have to tell a player or their agent that they are sending them through waivers.

Originally Posted by Jim Crikket

rileyroy - My recollection is that, yes, anyone on the claiming team's 40 man roster that they would want to send back in trade would have had to clear waivers first. Then again, the Twins would have a very early waiver claim on any AL player so they could, in turn, claim said player and then work out the trade. Minor leaguers not on the 40 man roster don't have to clear waivers, though, which is why many August trades are for prospects (or organizational minor leaguers).

James - Capps and Pavano are interesting cases. Do the Twins send them through waivers immediately when it's unlikely anyone would claim them prior to seeing whether they can actually pitch, which would allow the Twins to trade them to anyone once they've cleared waivers? Or would they wait until they've proven healthy enough to pitch quasi-effectively with the hope someone WOULD claim them so the Twins could simply let them go to anyone willing to relieve the Twins of the rest of their contracts? Not sure which is the better strategy at this point. Then again, I'm not even sure whether you can put someone who's on the DL on waivers.

Not 100 percent sure, but pretty sure...I don't think a player on either DL can be waived.

If they exit the DL, Pavano and Capps will both be put on waivers. I think the Twins would want something back for Capps, but that they might accept just the salary relief for Pavano. I doubt Morneau would be claimed, but unless there is a very good offer, the Twins should hold on to him and then perhaps trade him the offseason. I am also in favor of dumping Carroll and that contracT GO.

If money wasn't a problem what would the asking price be for Mauer?

Originally Posted by Seth Stohs

3.) the Twins could (and would) pull him back.!