While the non-waiver deadline came and went July 31 with plenty of movement, trade activity may slow but deals are often completed throughout August on an annual basis. The next date to be mindful of is Thursday, Aug. 31.
Waiver trades can continue into September and October, but a player must be on a club’s roster by the final day in August in order to be eligible for postseason play. With the non-waiver deadline having passed, any player who is traded during this time must first be placed on revocable waivers, which last 47 hours.
Should a player clear waivers, his team can trade him without any restrictions. If a player is claimed then his club has three options.
A trade can be completed with the team who filed the claim (deal must be completed within 48.5 hours), the player can be pulled off waivers and remain with his current team, or the claiming team can simply be given the player and assume his contract.
Such was the case last Saturday, when the San Francisco Giants simply awarded relief pitcher George Kontos to the Pittsburgh Pirates on a waiver claim.
If a previously pulled-back player is placed on waivers a second time, they are irrevocable waivers and the player cannot be retained if claimed.
Should more than one team claim a player, priority is first determined by worst to best record in the league of the waiving team, followed by worst to best record in the other league. The worse a team’s record is, the higher their priority.
It’s common for clubs to put several players on revocable waivers, even those whom they have no intention of trading. Of note during this time frame, players who aren’t on a 40-man roster are ineligible to be traded without first needing to clear waivers.
While the Los Angeles Dodgers swung three trades prior to the July 31 deadline, most notably acquiring Yu Darvish, they’ve been active during the waiver period in recent years. In 2015, they acquired Chase Utley from the Philadelphia Phillies, and Justin Ruggiano from the Seattle Mariners.
Last season, the Dodgers swapped backup catchers with the Phillies, trading A.J. Ellis for Carlos Ruiz.
On Aug. 25, 2012, the Dodgers completed a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox to land Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto. Los Angeles added over $250 million in salaries with the megadeal, and only Gonzalez remains with the organization.
