Berardino: Suzuki on Trade Waivers

[Seth Stohs]

According to this Mike Berardino article, catcher Kurt Suzuki is currently on trade waivers. According to the report, Suzuki's 48 hour waiver deadline will pass on Sunday afternoon. If he is claimed, the claiming team and the Twins will have 48 hours to complete a trade. If they don't reach an agreement, the Twins can just send him to that team for nothing or  the Twins can pull him back. If he is not claimed, he can be dealt to any team. 

[Thrylos]

The surprise would have been if he was not placed on trade waivers.  Teams pretty much place their full roster through them in August.

[AZTwin]

Everyone knows that everyone is placed on waivers. Good lord, every time someone talks about it people say this. It is still interesting and I wish it wasn't private so you could see who gets claimed (blocked or potential trade). It's also interesting because once placed and cleared, they can be traded

[Rosterman]

Why is this so special on day 13 of August. You would've assumed that it would've happened by now, as well as many others. There is nothing to be lost by doing this, and everything to possibly be gained.

[Winston Smith]

Why is this so special on day 13 of August. You would've assumed that it would've happened by now, as well as many others. There is nothing to be lost by doing this, and everything to possibly be gained.

Probably after losing the last 4 games they decided the playoff run was over, just kidding. Why wasn't it done Aug. 2 along with the rest of the team is a good question.

[kab21]

You would think that the best time to sneak someone through waivers is when there are a lot of players on waivers at the beginning of the month. But there could be all kinds of strategy at play here. It is possible that at that time few teams are willing to work out deals and players just get blocked. Perhaps right now the Twins know that a team that puts in a claim will be more serious about working out a deal. 

 

All I am saying that I don't think this is as easy as why wasn't he put on waivers 10 days ago.

[DaveW]

You would think that the best time to sneak someone through waivers is when there are a lot of players on waivers at the beginning of the month. But there could be all kinds of strategy at play here. It is possible that at that time few teams are willing to work out deals and players just get blocked. Perhaps right now the Twins know that a team that puts in a claim will be more serious about working out a deal.

 

All I am saying that I don't think this is as easy as why wasn't he put on waivers 10 days ago.

I highly doubt this circus of a front office even thinks this deep/far ahead.

[PseudoSABR]

 

I highly doubt this circus of a front office even thinks this deep/far ahead.

Seriously? That's an unnecessary pot-shot.  If you watch the Darren Wolfson interview, Antony clearly indicates that there's potential August moves they haven't begun initializing yet, the subtext is that there's a strategy behind when they're going to put guys on waivers.   They may well pick the wrong strategy but it's lazy and baseless to suggest they don't even have some kind of plan to when they put guys on waivers. 

[AlwaysinModeration]

Does Antony want/expect to trade Suzuki? During a recent interview, he said he got offers for him at the deadline, but didn't like them. Does he think he is going to be getting better offers now, when he gets to negotiate with only one team?

 

Maybe that simplification of only having one team to work with will make it easier to accomplish, combined with the realization that something is better than nothing. He just had more leverage back at the deadline.

 

The return, if it happens, isn't going to be too much.

[goulik]

Or maybe, just maybe, these front offices keep talking after the trade deadline. Maybe a potential good deal for Zukes is even closer now than it was two weeks ago and that's why he goes on waivers now instead of two weeks ago.

 

Maybe these front office guys spend their lives doing these front office jobs and are not just fans but their whole Livelihoods are tied up in what they decide and what they do for 50-80 hours a week next year will depend on their decisions today. Maybe they spend WAY more time thinking about and analyzing this stuff than we ever would want to.

 

Maybe some fans cavalierly throw hyperbole out there as if they know better when at best they know less than half of the information. Maybe we all need to take it down a notch and see what happens before we judge Antony, the new GM hire, etc... Maybe we all get caught up here in our own small circle of discussion and come to the conclusion that we are experts when in reality, no one would dream (nightmare) of me in their front office.

[jorgenswest]

Somehow blocking teams have to believe it is possible that the Twins will simply let Suzuki go. A catcher is going to create a roster crunch more than a relief pitcher or a guy that is useful as a pinch hitter.

 

I don't see how the Orioles have a spot for Suzuki if stuck with him when trying to block. The Blue Jays aren't going to release Russell Martin. How important is Thole's ability to catch a knuckle ball? Suzuki might be a roster problem there also.

 

If teams are confident the Twins will simply pull Suzuki back, blocking is risk free. Maybe if they had let Willingham go when the Orioles tried to block in 2013, teams would be more reluctant to block now.

 

I think there is a good chance that Suzuki gets to a team that is interested. If that happens, the deal shouldn't be any worse than it was in July. While the Twins only have one team to work with, the team in need is just as limited in the supply of catchers.

 

If a team blocks, I hope they let him go.

[Badsmerf]

Or maybe, just maybe, these front offices keep talking after the trade deadline. Maybe a potential good deal for Zukes is even closer now than it was two weeks ago and that's why he goes on waivers now instead of two weeks ago.

 

Maybe these front office guys spend their lives doing these front office jobs and are not just fans but their whole Livelihoods are tied up in what they decide and what they do for 50-80 hours a week next year will depend on their decisions today. Maybe they spend WAY more time thinking about and analyzing this stuff than we ever would want to.

 

Maybe some fans cavalierly throw hyperbole out there as if they know better when at best they know less than half of the information. Maybe we all need to take it down a notch and see what happens before we judge Antony, the new GM hire, etc... Maybe we all get caught up here in our own small circle of discussion and come to the conclusion that we are experts when in reality, no one would dream (nightmare) of me in their front office.

Are you insinuating front office people actually do their jobs? Blasphemy!

[diehardtwinsfan]

That actually would be a great question for Jack Goin if he were to post on it. I know all teams do it differently, and there's no question there's some strategy to it. I'd love to know the inner workings of how those types of decisions are made.

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

 

Does Antony want/expect to trade Suzuki? During a recent interview, he said he got offers for him at the deadline, but didn't like them. Does he think he is going to be getting better offers now, when he gets to negotiate with only one team?

Maybe that simplification of only having one team to work with will make it easier to accomplish, combined with the realization that something is better than nothing. He just had more leverage back at the deadline.

The return, if it happens, isn't going to be too much.

Offers that he turned down? Why? We have the 2nd worst record in the MLB and worst in the AL. He is also a FA in a few months!

 

Ummm, would it not make sense to trade him for anything? If you really liked him and wanted to keep him, just sign him back in the offseason. My guess is that there were NO offers at all, or they would (should) have taken them. Would the SP be any worse off without him?

[Old Twins Cap]

Reality is, once the run-up to the playoffs shape up, whether it's injuries or a back-up that is deemed unreliable or a poor hitter, Teams look at what's out there on the market in terms of an up-grade. 

 

Suzuki has a nice body of work, he's hitting decent.  Maybe we land a Class A pitcher with upside.

 

Why not>?

[nicksaviking]

There must be some strategy to this but I wish someone would open up about it. I don't understand why all 30 teams don't put their entire roster on waivers August 2nd when every team is still finalizing their post deadline rosters. I can't imagine any player actually "sneaks" through later, I'm guessing the other teams get some kind of report.

 

Seems like making a conditional trade based on the hope a guy clears waivers includes an uneccessart step.

 

But the Twins aren't the only team that does this so there must be some reason.

[Guest]

Two years ago, extending Suzuki instead of trading him was a mistake. Now, he may be the best price/value free agent catcher for the Twins this off-season and he may be willing to take less to stay here. The Twins have nobody else ready to catch 120 games. Signing a new short-term deal with him, instead of trading him, would be good.

[DJSim22]

 

There must be some strategy to this but I wish someone would open up about it. I don't understand why all 30 teams don't put their entire roster on waivers August 2nd when every team is still finalizing their post deadline rosters. I can't imagine any player actually "sneaks" through later, I'm guessing the other teams get some kind of report.

Seems like making a conditional trade based on the hope a guy clears waivers includes an uneccessart step.

But the Twins aren't the only team that does this so there must be some reason.

 

I would guess the Twins thought there was more value waiting for one of two reasons.  One, an injury to a current catcher on a playoff team.  Or two, they still were talking about a trade with a couple teams and did not want to have a team claim him while they work on the best deal. 

 

So then why not wait longer?  I'm hoping there is a trade in place already and they are seeing if he clears to finalize. 

 

That's my take anyway, no idea if I'm right or not. 

 

 

[old nurse]

Several teams made offers that Antony did not like. Low level, low upside prospects are not something the Twins really need. They have rosters full of them. Waiver claims becomes a game somewhere between chicken and screw your neighbor.  If a team claims Suzuki with a lowball offer that should be rejected, Antony can claim any player to block a trade the other team wants to make. They can pick people up as they have room on the 40 man if in blocking they end up with a player. A pitcher, catcher, ss, cf more is not going to hurt this team.You can pass on the players that make you wonder why another team would want them

[Seth Stohs]

There is definitely a strategy to the timing of placing players on waivers. I have tried to figure it out for years and haven't. I'm sure there is something... It's not random.

[Otwins]

Did Suzuki clear waivers or was he claimed? While a trade makes sense I can't imagine getting a return that ever reaches the majors.

[magiklair]

I don't understand why he's still here.. Should've been dealt at the trade deadline.. As there was needs for catching upgrades.. Now fewer teams, probably lesser offers..

[old nurse]

 

I don't understand why he's still here.. Should've been dealt at the trade deadline.. As there was needs for catching upgrades.. Now fewer teams, probably lesser offers..

Lucroy was the only catcher traded. If you were shopping for Lucroy, Suzuki was never your first option. There is no change in the demand. There is no reason to take garbage back for Suzuki. Either you get a prospect that has potential, or you do not trade.

[diehardtwinsfan]

yeah, there's a bit of an art to trading too. Suzuki is good enough that I think RA has every right to ask for a reasonable player. Doesn't have to be a top 100, but getting a guy like Mejia for Kurt isn't unreasonable at all, and if the offers are all in the Pat Light category, I can kind of understand why he kept him. Lucroy definitely messed all of it up, being traded last minute. I suspect Kurt would have been traded had he not vetoed the trade to Cleveland.

[Blackjack]

 

The Twins have nobody else ready to catch 120 games.

 

You don't know for sure without playing Murphy and Garver.  Even with September call-ups, with Suzuki on the roster, Molitor will play him half the time. Trade Suzuki, rotate Garver and Murphy, with a little Centeno thrown in, see what the catchers can do. You can always re-sign Suzuki in the off-season if necessary.

[Blackjack]

 

There is definitely a strategy to the timing of placing players on waivers. I have tried to figure it out for years and haven't. I'm sure there is something... It's not random.

That would be a good question to ask sometime during a GM interview. Hint, hint.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

There must be some strategy to this but I wish someone would open up about it. I don't understand why all 30 teams don't put their entire roster on waivers August 2nd when every team is still finalizing their post deadline rosters. I can't imagine any player actually "sneaks" through later, I'm guessing the other teams get some kind of report.

Seems like making a conditional trade based on the hope a guy clears waivers includes an uneccessart step.

But the Twins aren't the only team that does this so there must be some reason.

Here's what I've deduced.

 

You are correct that no player "sneaks" through waivers undetected.  But likewise, your August 2nd plan would not actually sneak anyone through either.

 

The chief problem with your August 2nd plan is your team was just talking to other teams about the player a few hours earlier, and apparently found the offers lacking.  Literally nothing has changed since that point, so you probably know what teams will claim the player and what they will offer, and unless you've had a sudden change of opinion, you will have to reject the offer again, pull the player back, and you won't be able to trade them at all during the month of August regardless of whether the market might shift in your favor over the month.  Not ideal.

 

So instead, unless a player has a prohibitive salary like Nolasco or Brian McCann and you know they will clear (which is not really the case with Suzuki), you probably wait a bit to put them on trade assignment waivers, just to allow the market to change a bit so you can see some fresh partners/offers.  It may not necessarily change in your favor, but I think that's understood to be an acceptable risk once you get to August trade waivers anyway.

 

And while players don't actually "sneak" through waivers undetected, I think teams can time their waiver request to get players through (if not all the way through, at least through to their preferred trade partners) by looking at the standings -- who has waiver priority, and who is trending closer or further from contention.

 

In the case of Suzuki, I am not sure of the Twins exact thinking.  Maybe Seattle has gotten close enough to become buyers, but not too close to lose waiver priority?  Maybe Seattle, Boston, Cleveland, etc. are doing well enough with their current catching situations that the Twins think Suzuki will go unclaimed, and can then hopefully continue trying to deal him for the rest of the month (if, say, Yan Gomes has a setback, or another player gets hurt, etc.).

[Seth Stohs]

 

That would be a good question to ask sometime during a GM interview. Hint, hint.

 

I have... ha! And wisely, that's one of the things they won't answer. I don't blame them.

[HitInAPinch]

 

Did Suzuki clear waivers or was he claimed? While a trade makes sense I can't imagine getting a return that ever reaches the majors.

I did the "Like" for the first part of your comment. 

 

Considering the vast number of players that come through the MiLB system and don't make the it to MLB, that statement can be applied to any player being traded for anyone.

[ashbury]

I have... ha! And wisely, that's one of the things they won't answer. I don't blame them.

It would be nice to find a question that eases off the "tell us your strategy" angle they seem to perceive, and goes more for "explain a little more about the ground rules all the teams operate under".