Well, this could explain the Rangers' late entrance into the Dempster derby: Neftali Perez was scratched from a rehab start and Texas has announced he has a torn UCL and will undergo TJ surgery in a week.

I don't see why not. I'm pretty sure it's just whatever the teams agree upon.

And I'm pretty sure that the way it usually goes is that the teams agree upon a short list, say 3 or 4 players, and within an agreed-upon time frame the "getting" team decides which one they'll take. So if their #1 choice gets hurt, they can take someone else.

I guess I'm more wondering about whether the acquiring team has -- even if it's just under-the-table talk -- any modicum of 'control' over the players in question... If it's a pitcher, can the acquiring team ask that the selling team employ a stricter pitch count? Ask that player X start or relieve, or be shifted to a different position?

I didn't understand the Chad Qualls thing when the Yankees got him, and I don't understand why the Pirates want him.

*double-checks bb-ref*

Nope, still don't get it.

Apparently, the Yankees were going to DFA Qualls when Joba came back, and so they were able to get a player for him. In that context, getting a non-embarassing 1B for a week or so is a decent haul.

I could be wrong, but I think we could see a really active trade market during August with some players on large enough contracts to slip through waivers.

I just noted this in another thread: Boston's deadline deals have managed to free up two spots on the 40-man roster, and their poor record as of today has them in decent position for waiver claims.

If you roll Ichiro and Greinke into today, I think it was an above-average trade deadline day.

And this is a lot better than when the deadline was midnight EDT. Trades took place after virtually everyone went to bed in the East.

If it's a pitcher, can the acquiring team ask that the selling team employ a stricter pitch count? Ask that player X start or relieve, or be shifted to a different position?

I suspect the acquiring team can ask anything they want, but the issue is whether the other team will agree, and whether the acquiring team has any capacity to enforce the terms of their request in any case. My guess is it's a whole lot simpler for everyone to just agree upon a short list of players and let the acquiring team decide which one they want when they're ready to make the transfer.

I'd rather have gorkys and the pick than gaby.
Even if I'm Pittsburgh and badly need a 1b.

Sean McAdam tweets that Lars Anderson was traded to CLE.

I'm happy for Lars. I've always liked him and it was clear he needed a change of scenery if he was going to do anything in MLB. Cleveland seems like the ideal spot for him. They're pretty much out of it, Kotchman is busy proving that 2011 was a fluke, and Damon is looking awfully toasty. So there's no reason not to play Lars and see if he has any potential as a Major Leaguer.

Heh, the depleted Phillies knock around Strasburg for 6 runs/8 hits in 4 innings. Rollins got an inside the park HR when Harper's cleats got tangled in the mesh. It looked scary for Harper for a minute but I think he's okay.

Posted: July 31, 2012 at 06:04 PM (#4197544)

Apparently, the Yankees were going to DFA Qualls when Joba came back, and so they were able to get a player for him. In that context, getting a non-embarassing 1B for a week or so is a decent haul.

OK but why do the Pirates want Qualls?

The Blue Jays are betting that pitchers moving from the NL Central to the AL East is a market inefficiency.

Heh, the depleted Phillies knock around Strasburg for 6 runs/8 hits in 4 innings. Rollins got an inside the park HR when Harper's cleats got tangled in the mesh. It looked scary for Harper for a minute but I think he's okay.

And the new Cubs getting no-hit through 15 outs.

Now 3 innings to go.

getting a non-embarassing 1B for a week or so is a decent haul.

McGehee's OPS+ the last two years is 69 and 88 with sub-.300 OBPs both years. Even granting that "non-embarassing" is an exceptionally low bar, I'm not sure McGehee clears it.

After acquiring Gary Sanchez, Casey McGehee was a lot more expandable, especially with Garrett Jones around. Maybe they planned on DFA'ing him before they talked to the Yankees.

Maybe they planned on DFA'ing him before they talked to the Yankees.

That's what that trade looked like to me: two teams trading away guys they were about to DFA anyway.

What may have made this trade deadline unexciting for some was the lack of top prospects that went to new teams. Teams no longer value impending free agents because there are no draft picks (let alone two!) that can be gained from letting them go. Jacob Turner got moved but what other big-name prospects were traded? Does Jean Segura count? The guys the Rangers gave up for Ryan Dempster? Tommy Joseph? Nathan Eovaldi? I'm no prospect mavin, but I do know the top 30 or so names, and more for the teams I follow. But I never heard of any of these guys other than Turner before this week.

For all of the restocking teams like the Astros, Cubs, and Phillies were doing, they didn't get a lot of exciting brand names. Maybe that's why it feels a little underwhelming.

EDIT: Rangers 3B Mike Olt was a name that got named a lot in twitter/mlbtraderumors. He's practically a household name now, but he didn't get moved, either.

All I know is that the payroll for the Cubs next year is going to be really low and they are going to really suck.

Cheer up, you have Kyle Hendricks and Jacob Brigham!

Yeah.

Heh, the depleted Phillies knock around Strasburg for 6 runs/8 hits in 4 innings

That figures, I just traded for him on my Roto team.

The Red Sox get knuckleballer Steve Wright from the Indians.

I was sad because I had no knuckleball, but then I met a man with no hands. So I asked him if he had any knuckleballs he wasn't using.

And there's no hurry on him. He's the most likely player in baseball history to pass through waivers.

Teams aren't dumb, if a team needs him, they will make the claim. Of course, then they usually have to make a trade, and give up at least token value. It's unusual for a straight claim to go through, but Chicago claimed Alex Rios off waivers straight up.

What teams in contention needs a corner OF bat or DH? On Chicago, Viciedo isn't great shakes (on pace for about 1 war), but he's young and has potential, no way they bench him this late. As for Rios, well, dude leads the team in WAR for position players and is making his salary a bargain.

Teams aren't dumb, if a team needs him, they will make the claim. Of course, then they usually have to make a trade, and give up at least token value. It's unusual for a straight claim to go through, but Chicago claimed Alex Rios off waivers straight up.

You're right. Teams aren't dumb. Thus, NO ONE will put in a claim on Soriano. NO ONE. Even if they "need" him. Because NO ONE needs to pay Soriano 40-ish million over the next 2.5 years. If you claim Soriano on waivers the Cubs will let you have him and, as a result, you must now pay Soriano every cent he is owed thru October 2014.

Original post was right. Soriano is a 100% mortal lock to pass through waivers unclaimed.

You're right. Teams aren't dumb. Thus, NO ONE will put in a claim on Soriano. NO ONE. Even if they "need" him. Because NO ONE needs to pay Soriano 40-ish million over the next 2.5 years. If you claim Soriano on waivers the Cubs will let you have him and, as a result, you must now pay Soriano every cent he is owed thru October 2014.

Original post was right. Soriano is a 100% mortal lock to pass through waivers unclaimed

Aren't GMs allowed to agree to a trade before the waiver is processed? Can Dave Dombrowski call Theo and go listen, "I need __________ million and I'll take him" and Theo can agree and then the teams can do the deal?

Aren't GMs allowed to agree to a trade before the waiver is processed? Can Dave Dombrowski call Theo and go listen, "I need __________ million and I'll take him" and Theo can agree and then the teams can do the deal?

Sure - but the player still has to pass down to the team wanting to trade for him. I don't think a team can 'oopsie' a waiver claim, either -- as in, I don't think you can place a claim and then change your mind. If anyone claims Soriano - then Thed will basically say "my work here is done"*

*That said, in the how can I make Dempster pay for this outrage thread -- I believe we settled on the CBA and 10/5 rights still having a role here... Soriano, as a guy with 10/5 rights, can basically invalidate a claim by refusing to go to the claiming team. So in effect, he's doubly certain to pass through waivers -- there are apparently a few teams that he's OK with going to (Detroit being one for some odd reason). The best possible result would probably be one of those teams making a surprise claim - in which case, I doubt the Cubs would shed tears over whatever lukewarm lottery tix they would get from a trading partner.