The Los Angeles Angels are reportedly expected to place six veterans on waivers as a means of attempting to shed payroll and luxury tax commitments in the face of another lost season. (Getting underneath the luxury-tax line would also improve the Angels' draft-pick compensation that they would receive if two-way star Shohei Ohtani leaves as a free agent this winter.) Among those impacted are recent additions Lucas Giolito, Dominic Leone, Reynaldo López, and Randal Grichuk, as well as Hunter Renfroe and Matt Moore.
Players who have appeared in the majors this season can no longer be traded, meaning that the transaction cost for other teams who may want to claim those individuals is minimal: a roster spot and their prorated salary. Conversely, the benefit for a team placing a player on waivers is purely financial. They will not receive any other kind of compensation.
Claimed players will remain eligible for the postseason, and the waiver-wire priority is determined by inverse winning percentage on the day the claim is awarded (in this case, Thursday) -- in other words, the team with the inferior record's claim is "better" in this context compared to the team with the superior record. Do note that in the old days American League or National League teams would get first dibs on a player waived from their own league; that part of the process has since been done away with.
Those six players won't be the only notable names available for contenders to think about over the coming hours. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, here are some other veterans believed to be on waivers:
- Harrison Bader, CF, Yankees
- Carlos Carrasco, RHP, Mets
- Mike Clevinger, RHP, White Sox
- José Cisnero, RHP, Tigers
For the most part, the players placed on waivers across the league will usually be impending free agents who are on teams without playoff chances.
