After the July 31st trade deadline, there is a perception that no other trades can be made and that’s it for the season. That is not true and there has been much conversation about waiver-wire trades that can take place until August 31st. Since this concept can be confusing and is often overlooked, I will take a stab at explaining it, because it could be an extremely valuable tool for the Red Sox if they remain in the hunt over the next week or so.
Trade Waivers
The first and most important concept, is the trade waiver wire. Any player on a team’s roster is eligible to be placed on waivers at any time. Once a player is placed on waivers, any team may claim that player. If multiple teams claim the player, preference goes to the lowest team in the standings, and priority goes to the player’s current league (AL or NL).
Claiming a Player
If a player is claimed once on waivers, the waiving team has 3 possible options to choose from.
1) The waiving team can pull the player off waivers without penalty.
2) The waiving team can negotiate with the claiming team for 2 business days to work out a trade for that player. During that time, the claiming team has exclusive rights to negotiate for the player.
3) The waiving team can allow the player to go to the claiming team and the claiming team assumes the players contract. The claiming team pays a waiver fee to the waiving team.
Each individual player is allowed to be pulled off of the waiver wire once in a season. If a player is added to the waiver wire after being pulled off once and is claimed, the waiving team only has 2 options, to trade the player or allow the claiming team to outright take the player.
Blocking a Claim
On occasion, a team will claim a player in order to block a trade from happening between 2 other teams. It prevents a player from being traded within divisions or to rivals, but is not often used as a technique. Because a player can only be pulled off waivers once, a team can make a claim on the player just to use up that option and limit the waiving team’s options.
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There is a fairly simple overview of the waivers process and why teams will be able to make trades in August. The Red Sox have an impressive track record of bringing in key pieces in August, including Alex Gonzalez and Billy Wagner last season, so if the Sox are still in contention, Theo will be busy trying to make a deal or two. Check back for the latest information about potential deals.
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