Next Monday, Aug. 31, is an important deadline in the baseball world, specifically 11:59 p.m. ET. It is the postseason roster eligibility deadline. Players do not necessarily have to be on your MLB roster at the deadline to be eligible for October, but they must be in your organization. There are no loopholes here. If the player is not in your system at the deadline, he can't play in the postseason.
With that deadline looming, the waiver wire figures to be active in the coming days as teams out of the race look to dump salary, and contenders make last-minute moves to upgrade their roster. The Reds put TJ Friedl and Eugenio Suárez on waivers for this reason earlier this week, reports The Athletic, though both cleared waivers and went unclaimed. They're nine games out of a postseason spot and want to shed their salaries, if possible.
Suárez, 35, is owed roughly $3 million the rest of the season, and his poor performance (93 OPS+ and minus-0.4 WAR) made it unlikely he would get claimed. If any team was going to take the plunge and claim him, it may have been the Pirates, who tried to sign Suárez in the offseason and are still plausibly in the wild-card race at 7 ½ games out. They have a great big opening at third base, too. They clearly decided not to.
The 31-year-old Friedl had a better chance to get claimed than Suárez, even though he's had a worse season (33 OPS+ and -0-9 WAR). He can play center field, he's only owed $700,000 or so the rest of the season, and he'll remain under team control in 2027 and 2028. A team that's out of the race, perhaps the Royals, could have claimed Friedl with an eye on the future.
Here are five other players who could hit the waiver wire in the coming days and land with new teams before Monday's 11:59 p.m. ET postseason roster eligibility deadline.
RP Caleb Ferguson, Cardinals
St. Louis picked up Ferguson in a cash trade with the Reds at the deadline, when they were still in the wild-card race. They've since tumbled down the standings and don't have much use for Ferguson, who is owed about $750,000 the rest of the way and will be a free agent in a few weeks. He's had a tough season overall, including allowing a .767 OPS to lefties, but any team that needs a second lefty reliever won't have many (any?) other options. Possible landing spots: Cubs and Orioles
UTIL Jeff McNeil, Athletics
Lost in the A's disastrous slide is McNeil's strong second half, which includes an .890 OPS since the All-Star break and playing time at first base, second base, and in left field. The Mets are paying a chunk of McNeil's salary this year, as well as the $2 million buyout on his $15.75 million club option for 2027. Claim him and you'll be on the hook for $1.6 million or so. It's pricey, but if you need a bat who can cover multiple positions, you won't do better in late August. Possible landing spots: Diamondbacks and Padres
CF Luis Robert Jr., Mets
Since returning from a back injury last month, Robert has clubbed eight home runs in 30 games and played a credible center field (plus some left field). The nagging injuries mean Robert is no longer an every single game player (he's yet to start more than three straight days since returning), but he can put a mistake in the seats and punish lefties. There is a hefty sum remaining on his contract, though: roughly $5.3 million between this year's salary and the buyout of next year's $20 million club option. Possible landing spots: Phillies and Rangers
RP John Schreiber, Royals
It was a minor surprise when the Royals didn't move Schreiber, an impending free agent, at the trade deadline, not that he has great value. He's a righty specialist and a very good one: .419 OPS allowed to right-handed hitters this year. Use him properly (i.e. avoid lefties at all costs), and Schreiber can help a contender in middle relief over these next few weeks. He's owed a modest $620,000 or so the rest of this season. Possible landing spots: White Sox and Yankees.
2B Gleyber Torres, Tigers
The Tigers sold their two big rentals at the deadline (Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal) but kept Torres, who had just returned from an oblique strain. He's a low-strikeout, high-walks guy at this point in his career, but he's postseason- and big-market battle-tested, and you're simply not going to find another player with a .363 on-base percentage on the waiver wire. Torres can boost a contender's lineup at second base or DH. He's pricey, with just north of $3.5 million owed to him the rest of the way after accepting the qualifying offer last winter. Possible landing spots: Dodgers and Rays
