The deadline to claim MLB players off outright waivers was at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. The league no longer allows August waiver trades, but there were a handful of players available after the Angels, Yankees and others decided to part ways with veterans to save money and/or open up roster spots for younger players. Lucas Giolito, Harrison Bader, Hunter Renfroe and Mike Clevinger were among the notable names placed on waivers this week.
Here's a look at the six waiver claims on Thursday, plus analysis of the moves.
| Player | Old team | New Team |
|---|---|---|
OF Harrison Bader | New York Yankees | Cincinnati Reds |
OF Hunter Renfroe | Los Angeles Angels | Cincinnati Reds |
RHP Lucas Giolito | Los Angeles Angels | Cleveland Guardians |
RHP Reynaldo López | Los Angeles Angels | Cleveland Guardians |
LHP Matt Moore | Los Angeles Angels | Cleveland Guardians |
RHP Dominic Leone | Los Angeles Angels | Seattle Mariners |
Guardians claim Giolito, López, Moore
Right-handed starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, left-handed reliever Matt Moore and right-handed reliever Reynaldo López have been claimed off waivers by the Guardians, the team announced. They were placed on waivers earlier this week, to much hoopla, by the Angels. The Angels traded for them both in late July as part of a wave of additions in a push to make a run to the playoffs. Things totally fell apart afterward, so Giolito, López and several other teammates were placed on waivers in hopes of saving money.
This will save the Angels some money, too, as Giolito is owed nearly $2 million the rest of the way before hitting free agency. Moore is due a bit over $1 million while López is owed around $600,000.
The Guardians are five games back of the Twins in the AL Central (with a three-game series scheduled for next week), so this marks a last-minute effort to repeat as division champs, while also blocking these players from getting to the Twins in the waiver process.
Giolito, 29, has been an enigma for much of his career. He was drafted in the first round (16th overall) out of high school by the Nationals and then sent to the White Sox as part of the Adam Eaton trade in 2016. In 2018, Giolito had the worst ERA in the majors among qualified starters at 6.13. He was then an All-Star in 2019 and received Cy Young votes three straight years. Last year, he went backward to a 4.90 ERA and 0.5 WAR in 30 starts.
In 21 starts for the White Sox before being traded, Giolito was 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP and 131 strikeouts in 121 innings. In his six starts for the Angels, though, he was 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA and 1.47 WHIP.
He's a wild card. There is ace upside in there, though, and it's worth a shot to see if he reaches that ceiling here the rest of the way.
López, 29, was excellent for the White Sox last season and was having a bit of a down year in 2023 before the trade. In his 13 appearances for the Angels, he pitched to a 2.77 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Moore, 34, has been a great reliever these past two seasons. In 41 appearances this year, he has a 2.66 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 49 strikeouts in 44 innings.
Reds grab Bader, Renfroe
Center fielder Harrison Bader has been claimed off waivers by the Reds, the Yankees announced. The Yankees placed Bader on waivers earlier this week and, under the current system, any claiming team will get the player and his remaining salary without having to give up any players in return. The Reds also grabbed Hunter Renfroe, who was part of the Angels' purge, according to the team.
Bader is making $5.2 million this year, leaving a bit over $900,000 left on the season. He's set to hit free agency after the year. Renfroe costs a bit more, as he's due almost $2 million the rest of the way.
Bader, 29, is hitting .240/.278/.365 (75 OPS+) with 11 doubles, seven homers, 37 RBI, 40 runs, 17 stolen bases and 0.9 WAR in 84 games this season. He can swing a hot bat at times -- such as during the playoffs last season -- and plays exceptional defense while also being a quality baserunner. There's upside to be had. He also goes in extended slumps at the plate and has shown himself to be injury-prone in his seven MLB seasons.
Renfroe, 31, is just a power bat. He's hit at least 26 home runs in each of his previous five full MLB seasons. He's hitting .242/.304/.434 (97 OPS+) with 19 homers this year.
Mariners add Leone
The Mariners selected right-handed reliever Dominic Leone off waivers from the Angels, per Ryan Divish. Leone has been a journeyman in his 10 MLB seasons, but his career started with Seattle in 2014 and now he's back.
In 42 appearances this season (31 with the Mets, 11 with the Angels), he's pitched to a 4.74 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings.
Clevinger, Carrasco, Grichuk unclaimed
White Sox starter Mike Clevinger has been throwing the ball really well of late, but due to his contract structure, any claiming team would've been on the hook for over $5 million for just a month of work. He's gone unclaimed.
Also unclaimed are Mets starter Carlos Carrasco and Angels outfielder Randal Grichuk.
