All Quiet at the Wrigley Front
The non-waiver trading deadine has passed, and nary a peep from the Cubs.
After losing another game to a LHP last night (the Cubs are 9-16 when facing a lefty starter), it seemed reasonable to believe that the Cubs might make a trade today for a right-handed hitting OF who could platoon with Cliff Floyd in RF.
Right-handed hitting right-fielders mentioned in connection with the Cubs the past few days included Jay Payton (BAL), Bobby Kielty (OAK), Reggie Sanders (KC), Xavier Nady (PIT) and Jonny Gomes (TB).
Although the non-waiver trade deadline for trades involving players on MLB 40-man rosters has passed (a minor league player not on a 40-man roster can be traded without restriction at any time), trades can still be made throughout August and even in September, as long as a GM can get a player through Trade Waivers without the player being claimed. (A maximum of seven players from any one club can be placed on Trade Waivers on a given day).
If a player is claimed off Trade Waivers during the months of August and September, his team can either pull the player back off waivers and retain the player (in which case the player cannot be placed on Trade Waivers again during that waiver period), trade the player to the claiming team, or do nothing and allow the claim to stand (in which case the claiming team gets the player for the $20,000 waiver price, as well as assuming 100% of the player's salary). If more than one team makes a claim on a player, the claim is awarded to the claiming club in the player's own league with the worst winning percentage, and if the only claims are from clubs in the other league, the claiming team with the lowest winning percentage in the other league is awarded the claim.
If a player is not claimed off waivers, the player can be traded at any time during the waiver period without having to be placed on waivers again. It is not unusual for clubs to place their entire 40-man roster (seven players per day) on Trade Waivers right at the beginning of the waiver period in August, and that way the club knows who has cleared waivers (and can be traded) and who did not clear waivers (and can't be traded).
There is another less-formal (and actually more-important) trading deadline on August 31st. This is when playoff rosters must be submitted, so if a team wants a player acquired in a trade to be eligible for post-season play, the trade needs to happen prior to midnight on August 31st. If a player is acquired in a trade on or after September 1st, he cannot play in the LDS, LCS, or World Series.
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