Trade Assignment Waivers Are On Deck

The deadline for "non-waiver" (unrestricted) trades is 4 PM (Eastern) on July 31st, or 4 PM (Eastern) on Friday July 30th if July 31st falls on a Saturday. or 4 PM (Eastern) on Monday August 1st if July 31st falls on a Sunday.

WAIVERS 

Waivers must be secured before certain types of transactions can be completed.

There are two types of waivers (release waivers and assignment waivers), and while there is only one type of release waiver (Outright Release), there are two different types of assignment waivers (Trade Assignment and Outright Assignment). 
NOTE: Optional Assignment Waivers have been eliminated in the 2016-21 CBA.

Each type of waivers has a special set of rules that apply.


WAIVER PERIODS 

The four MLB waiver periods are:

1. February 16th through the 30th day of the MLB regular season;
2. 31st day of the MLB regular season through July 31st; 
3. August 1st through November 10th; 
4. November 11th through February 15th.

MLB WAIVER LIST

The MLB waiver list is transmitted at 2 PM (Eastern) every business day.

Generally speaking, every day is an MLB business day during Spring Training and the MLB Regular Season, but Saturday, Sunday, and national holidays (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday) are not considered MLB business days during the off-season and over the last weekend of Spring Training (if MLB Opening Day falls on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday). So the MLB waiver list is transmitted at 2 PM (Eastern) Monday through Friday ONLY (not including national holidays that fall on a weekday) during the off-season and over the final week of Spring Training. Also, the MLB Commissioner may add additional holidays and non-business days to the MLB off-season (TBA).

If a club requests a waiver prior to the 2 PM (Eastern) deadline, the waiver request is transmitted that day. If the waiver is requested after 2 PM (Eastern), the waiver request will not be transmitted until the next business day. Any of the other 29 MLB clubs can make a claim while the player is on waivers, and then at 1 PM (Eastern) on the second business day after the waivers are requested the MLB office determines if any claims were made, and if so, which club is awarded the claim.

RESTRICTIONS ON MAKING WAIVER CLAIMS

1. A club can place no more than seven players on waivers per day.

2. A player on a disabled list cannot be placed on assignment waivers during Spring Training, and a player on a Disabled List cannot be placed on assignment waivers during the MLB regular season until he is both eligible to be reinstated from the DL and healthy enough to play.

3. Neither assignment waivers nor release waivers can be requested on a player while he is on the Paternity List, Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List, Military List, Suspended List, Disqualified List, or Ineligible List.

4. Outright Release Waivers (but NOT assignment waivers) may be requested on a player while he is on the Voluntary Retired List.

5. A player can be optioned to the minors while he is on waivers, but a  player cannot be traded, sent outright to the minors, or sent on a Minor League Rehab Assignment while he is on waivers. 

6. A player can be on only one type of assignment waiver at any one time, and if a club requests Outright Release waivers while a player is on either Trade Assignment or Outright Assignment waivers, the Outright Release waiver request will automatically void the assignment waiver request.


AWARDING WAIVER CLAIMS 

The procedure for awarding waiver claims is different depending on the type of waivers and the time of the year.

PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING OF WAIVER CLAIMS (TYPE OF WAIVERS):

1. For Outright Assignment Waivers and Outright Release Waivers (but NOT for Trade Assignment Waivers): If a player is claimed by only one club, that club is awarded the claim. If more than one club makes a claim, the club with the lowest winning percentage (regardless of league) either from the previous season (beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season through the 30th day of the MLB regular season) or on the day the player clears waivers (beginning on the 31st day of the MLB regular season through the last day of the MLB regular season) is awarded the claim. If two clubs with the same winning percentage make a claim, the club in the player's own league is awarded the claim. If two clubs from the same league make a claim and they are tied in the standings, the club with the lowest winning percentage from the previous season is awarded the claim. If the clubs are still tied, standings from two years back (or three years back, four years back, etc) are used to break the tie.

2. For Trade Assignment Waivers (only): If a player is claimed by more than one club, the club in the player's own league with the lowest winning percentage is awarded the claim, even if that club has a higher winning percentage than the club or clubs making a claim from the other league. So a player placed on Trade Assignment Waivers must essentially be "waived out of his own league" before he can be assigned to a club in the other league. But again, this ONLY applies to Trade Assignment Waiver claims. 

PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING OF WAIVER CLAIMS (TIME OF THE YEAR)

1. During the off-season and up through the first 30 days of he MLB regular season, the previous season's MLB standings are used to determine waiver claim priority. 

2. Beginning on the 31st day of the MLB regular season through the conclusion of the MLB regular season, the MLB standings as of the date the player clears waivers are used to determine waiver claim priority, with the previous season's MLB standings only used to break ties.

RESTRICTION ON MAKING WAIVER CLAIMS:

A club is not permitted to make a waiver claim and then trade the player to another club if the purpose or effect of the claim was to prevent a third club from being awarded the waiver claim. (A waiver claim that is judged by the MLB Commissioner to have been made for this purpose will be revoked).

RESTRICTIONS ON TRADING PLAYERS

Generally, an MLB club can trade a player on its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and minor league reserve lists at any time. However, there are a few restrictions:

1. Beginning at 4 PM (Eastern) on July 31st (or 4 PM Eastern on Friday July 30th if July 31st falls on a Saturday, or 4 PM Eastern on Monday August 1st if July 31st falls on a Sunday) and extending until 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season, Trade Assignment Waivers must be secured before a player on an MLB 40-man roster (or 60-day DL) can be traded. 

2. Trades (including trades involving minor league players) are not permitted beginning at 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season up through the final game of the MLB regular season (including any make-up or tie-breaker game or games that might be scheduled after the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season).

3. A player who signs after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) or who was eligible for selection in the Rule 4 Draft but was not selected and who signs with an MLB club as a Non-Drafted Free-agent (NDFA) cannot be traded for at least 90 days or until after the conclusion of the World Series (no earlier than 9 AM on the day after the final game of the World Series), whichever comes last. 
NOTE: Previously, a player signed after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft could not be traded until the first anniversary of the player signing his first contract.  

4. A minor league player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), traded to another organization, or transferred from one minor league reserve list to another within the same organization, beginning with the filing of MLB & minor league reserve lists on November 20th (or November 19th if November 20th falls on a Saturday or November 18th if November 20th falls on a Sunday) and extending through the completion of the Rule 5 Draft.

5. A player cannot be traded while he is on waivers.

6. A player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who has a contractual "no trade" right can waive this right if he so chooses.

PLAYERS OB CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST WITH CONTRACTUAL "NO TRADE" RIGHT (updated 7-27-2018)
Yu Darvish, RHP (full "no trade" through 2021, then can block trade to 12 clubs TBD post-2021 thru 2022, then "10/5 full no-trade" beginning post-2022)
Cole Hamels, LHP (can block trade to twenty clubs TBD)
Jason Heyward, OF (full "no-trade" thru 2018, then can block trade to 12 clubs TBD post-2018 thru 2020, then "10/5 full no-trade" beginning post-2020) 
Jon Lester, LHP (full "no trade")
Ben Zobrist, INF (full "no trade" through 2018, then can block trade to eight clubs TBD beginning post-2018)

7. A player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who has accrued at least ten years of MLB Service Time with at least the last five years of MLB Service Time accrued with the same club (a so-called "10/5" player) has an automatic "no trade" right for as long as he remains with that club. The player can waive this right if he so chooses.

"10/5 PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST: (updated 1-1-2018)
NONE 

8. An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a Major League contract after 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series has an automatic "no trade" right through June 15th. The player can waive this right, but if he does he can be traded only for cash and/or player contracts with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000. Note that an Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a minor league contract after 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series does NOT receive an automatic "no trade" right, even if the player is later added to the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster).  

9. If a "Player to Be Named Later" (PTBNL) is part of a trade, the PTBNL cannot be on an MLB 25-man roster (MLB Active List) at any time beginning when the trade is executed (filed with the MLB office) up until when the trade is completed. A PTBNL can be a specific player or the PTBNL can be selected from a list of players or a class of players as determined by the clubs when the trade is executed. Beginning in 2015, a player signed after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) cannot be a PTBNL in any trade made prior to the conclusion of the World Series. Clubs have six months to agree on a PTBNL, but the clubs can agree (when the trade is executed) on a deadline that is less than six months. A cash payment (typically $50,000 for trades involving players on the 40-man roster) can be substituted for a PTBNL if no agreement can be reached within six months, but the alternative cash payment must be agreeable to both clubs and stated in writing when the trade is executed. 

10. In most cases a player on a disabled list can be traded, even if the player is not eligible to be reinstated and/or healthy enough to play. The one exception is if Trade Assignment Waivers must be secured before the player can be traded. In that case (only), the player must be eligible to be reinstated from the Disabled List AND healthy enough to play before the player can be placed on waivers. Otherwise the disabled player would have to remain a "Player to Be Named Later" until either the player is eligible to be reinstated from the Disabled List AND healthy enough to play such that Trade Assignment Waivers can be secured, or until the conclusion of the MLB regular season (if Trade Assignment Waivers are not secured).

TRADE ASSIGNMENT WAIVERS 

Beginning with the new waiver period that commences on August 1st and extending until 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season, Trade Assignment Waivers must be secured before a player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) can be traded. Waivers are never required to trade a player on a minor league reserve list.  

Trade Assignment Waivers cannot be requested after 2 PM (Eastern) on the 10th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season. 

Trade Assignment Waivers automatically expire at 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season. 
NOTE: Neither MLB nor minor league players can be traded over the final seven days of the MLB regular season. 

If a player is placed on Trade Assignment Waivers and is not claimed, waivers are said to be "secured" and the player can be traded to any MLB club at any time, just like prior to the non-waiver trade deadline.

Trade Assignment Waivers are revocable the first time they are requested on a given player in a waiver period, so if a player is claimed, the player's club has the option to either withdraw the waiver request and retain the player, or allow the waiver claim to stand. The player's club has 48-1/2 hours to make this decision, and during this "window" the club has the right to trade the player to the claiming club (but ONLY to the claiming club). If the player is not traded to the claiming club before the window closes, and the player's club chooses not to withdraw the waiver request, the player is automatically assigned to the claiming club for the $50,000 (formerly $20,000) waiver price and the claiming club assumes 100% of the player's contract. (A player with a "no trade" right can refuse both a waiver claim and a trade assignment, however).

If a player is claimed but not traded and the waiver request is subsequently withdrawn, the player cannot be placed on Trade Assignment Waivers again BY THAT CLUB for at least 30 days from the date the waiver request is withdrawn, and if the player is placed on Trade Assignment Waivers again BY THE SAME CLUB before the end of the season, the waivers become irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn. 
NOTE: If a player is claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers after a Trade Assignment Waiver request has been withdrawn, the player's new club can place the player on Trade Assignment Waivers. 

A player who has a "no trade" right (full or partial) cannot be placed on Trade Assignment Waivers a second time before the end of the season unless the player first waives his "no trade" right.

Trade Assignment Waivers secured on a player on Optional Assignment to the minors or on an MLB Disabled List expire after 72 hours.

If a player on an MLB Disabled List is placed on Trade Assignment Waivers, he must be eligible to be reinstated from the DL and healthy enough to play. If waivers are secured, the player must be reinstated from the DL within 72 hours. If the player is claimed and the waiver request is subsequently withdrawn, the player must be reinstated from the DL immediately.