Twins Trade Abad To Red Sox For RP Prospect

True, although I think teams also try to be fairly selective about what guys it puts on August waivers.  For example, the Twins aren't going to put Buxton or Sano on waivers, or probably even Tonkin or Rogers.  Suzuki and Kintzler may not be in that class, but if we try to put them through waivers when they are performing well and offer affordable 2017 control, we might be pushing that boundary a bit, so I don't think it would be out of the question for a non-contender to put in a claim without fear of retaliation.  It wouldn't necessarily be about blocking at that point.

 

If they were both pending FA, or had a mildly prohibitive 2017 price tag, it would be a different story.

They are put on revocable waivers, so the non-contender isn't going to get the player unless the team that waived him (most likely in the same boat) is happy to let him go for nothing. All they will accomplish is annoying the other GMs 

Teams will put more players on waivers than you would expect, although it wouldn't be the untouchables like Kepler, Buxton, and Sano.  I'd bet Dozier, Escobar, Mauer (just in case he's willing to waive the no-trade), Suzuki, and Plouffe all clear waivers.  Santana and Milone also will probably clear, and a couple of relievers might, too, just in case someone is willing to pay a premium.  We'll just never hear anything about it unless they actually make a deal.

i don't think Plouffe would clear waivers. He would be a guy someone would claim in the hopes of making a low cost trade, assuming he would be non-tendered in the offseason anyways. A low voltage trade could get you 6-8 weeks of Plouffe and arbitration rights vs a crazy free agency price.

I suppose some team might claim him with the hopes of having exclusive trade rights to negotiate a better deal, but if there weren't some parameters for a trade set in advance, the Twins probably wouldn't look to favorably upon that claim. 

Why would Santana clear waivers?
All we heard leading up to the deadline was how his contract has so much surplus value into the offseason, and that's why we should hold on to him.
If that is true, wouldn't plenty of teams claim him?

Once teams see his on waivers, an interested team might call the Twins and work out some trade parameters and then make the claim, but if they were unable to get a deal they probably would recognize the Twins received a better offer and wouldn't make the claim (unless they wanted to set themselves up for retaliation.)  So someone might claim him, or they might be no deal in place and no claim to allow the Twins more time to work a deal once he has cleared.  (Like the rest of baseball, there seem to be a lot of unwritten rules and gentlemen's agreements with these things.)