How exactly does the waiver system work?

[Little Slide Rooter]

I know the basics, the team puts the player on waivers, and other teams get a chance to claim him in a certain period before they first team is free to trade him or do whatever with them.

 

However, is there a specific order in which other teams can place their claim? How does this work?

[pitchcs]

I know the basics, the team puts the player on waivers, and other teams get a chance to claim him in a certain period before they first team is free to trade him or do whatever with them.

 

However, is there a specific order in which other teams can place their claim? How does this work?

 

 

By record. Worst gets first claim.

[anabiono]

correct me if i am wrong...please...

 

say you are the angels...you put a player on waivers...the worst team in the AL gets first dibs and then the best team in the AL gets dibs...

 

then...it goes to the NL...and back and forth...

 

am i wrong?

[JeffH]

By league and by current record (not last season's record).

 

Blue Jays put Matt Stairs on waivers.

 

Tampa Bay has first crack. Then Texas. And so on until Boston. Then Pittsburgh. Then Cincinnati. And so on until the Mets.

 

Reds put Jeff Conine on waivers.

 

Pittsburgh has first crack. Then Cincinnati. And so on until the Mets. Then Tampa Bay. Then Texas. And so on until Boston.

 

And, actually, the claims aren't made in order. It's a big free-for-all over a seven (?) day period, then the claims get sorted out. It's not like, if Tampa Bay claims Stairs, MLB lets everyone know that it's over and not to bother.

[anabiono]

By league and by current record (not last season's record).

 

Blue Jays put Matt Stairs on waivers.

 

Tampa Bay has first crack. Then Texas. And so on until Boston. Then Pittsburgh. Then Cincinnati. And so on until the Mets.

 

Reds put Jeff Conine on waivers.

 

Pittsburgh has first crack. Then Cincinnati. And so on until the Mets. Then Tampa Bay. Then Texas. And so on until Boston.

 

And, actually, the claims aren't made in order. It's a big free-for-all over a seven (?) day period, then the claims get sorted out. It's not like, if Tampa Bay claims Stairs, MLB lets everyone know that it's over and not to bother.

 

so, it doesn't go from worst to first and then flip leagues?

 

ah...i want a concrete explanation on this process...

 

so...tampa releases jonny gomes...he has to make it all the way through the AL before the NL has any shot at him?

[JeffH]

By league and by current record (not last season's record).

 

Blue Jays put Matt Stairs on waivers.

 

Tampa Bay has first crack. Then Texas. And so on until Boston. Then Pittsburgh. Then Cincinnati. And so on until the Mets.

 

Reds put Jeff Conine on waivers.

 

Pittsburgh has first crack. Then Cincinnati. And so on until the Mets. Then Tampa Bay. Then Texas. And so on until Boston.

 

And, actually, the claims aren't made in order. It's a big free-for-all over a seven (?) day period, then the claims get sorted out. It's not like, if Tampa Bay claims Stairs, MLB lets everyone know that it's over and not to bother.

 

so, it doesn't go from worst to first and then flip leagues?

 

ah...i want a concrete explanation on this process...

 

so...tampa releases jonny gomes...he has to make it all the way through the AL before the NL has any shot at him?

 

Yes, it does go from worst to first and then flip leagues, but only in terms of determining which is the winning claim. Like I said, someone from MLB doesn't call Tampa Bay and say "You want this dude?", wait for an answer, and then move on to the next team.

 

Yes, if Tampa Bay places Jonny Gomes on waivers, any claim placed on him by an AL team supercedes a claim placed on him by the Cubs.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/transanctionsprimer.html

 

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2006/08/death_taxes_and_1.php

[nilodnayr]

My only question is that priority is based on "current standings". Is that current standings the second the player is officially put on waivers. Or standing at the time the teams put a waiver claim on in, or is it some specifict point? For that matter, is there any specific time teams are supposed to put guys on waivers. Or is it pretty much any time after July 31st?

 

It seems as though with a bunch of teams close to each other and flip flopping in the standings on a nightly basis, this is pretty important.

[JeffH]

My only question is that priority is based on "current standings". Is that current standings the second the player is officially put on waivers. Or standing at the time the teams put a waiver claim on in, or is it some specifict point? For that matter, is there any specific time teams are supposed to put guys on waivers. Or is it pretty much any time after July 31st?

 

It seems as though with a bunch of teams close to each other and flip flopping in the standings on a nightly basis, this is pretty important.

 

I don't know for sure, but I would imagine it's the records at the completion of all of the previous day's games.

[nilodnayr]

My only question is that priority is based on "current standings". Is that current standings the second the player is officially put on waivers. Or standing at the time the teams put a waiver claim on in, or is it some specifict point? For that matter, is there any specific time teams are supposed to put guys on waivers. Or is it pretty much any time after July 31st?

 

It seems as though with a bunch of teams close to each other and flip flopping in the standings on a nightly basis, this is pretty important.

 

I don't know for sure, but I would imagine it's the records at the completion of all of the previous day's games.

 

So, say the Reds want to try to trade Dunn to the Brewers, they can wait until (hopefully) we overtake the Brewers for first place and then place Dunn on waivers so the Brewers can claim him and have priority. But what if the Brewers put a claim in and then they win the next day and we lose and then wen put in a claim for him.

 

This whole "as of current standings" is very nebulous.

[WindyCity]

I've always wondered this: if a player has a no-trade clause in their contract, does that prevent their current team from putting them on waivers? If not, can they be let go via waivers w/o violating the no-trade clause (since its technically not a trade) or would the player still have to approve the waiver claim / transfer to the new team?