Report: Phillies Place Cliff Lee on Waivers

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According to Yahoo!’s Jeff Passan, the Phillies have placed Cliff Lee on waivers. It's a somewhat standard move, to be placed on waivers after the trade deadline, but here are the scenarios: If he clears, which is likely because he is owed roughly $95 million, then he will be eligible to be traded by tomorrow afternoon. To do so, the Phillies would likely have to swallow about $7-$8 million a year, according to Passan.

Inquirer beat reporter Matt Gelb doesn't think the Phillies would eat that much money, but letting go of most of Lee's massive contract would allow them to do other things (rebuild).

Again, it's likely no team will claim him and it's probably not the outcome the Phillies are searching for. However, if he were to be claimed, the Phils could still pull him off waivers.

Ruben Amaro has spent the last two days doing interviews, telling anyone who will listen that the Phils were never shopping Lee. But, by placing Clifton on waivers, a move that could eventually lead to him being available for a trade, the Phils are, at the very least, exploring their options. 

CBS Sports' Danny Knobler explained the waiver process last summer, pointing out that many players get put on waivers. It's often procedural, but with all the trade talk surrounding Lee, you can't help but wonder if the Phils are entertaining the idea of a post-waiver trade deadline trade.

Admittedly, we may have jumped the gun, a bit, on this. Often, waived players' names aren't released and, as many baseball people are pointing out right now, some of the game's biggest stars get placed on waivers each year. But still, it's cause for some unease.

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53 Responses

  1. This means nothing just about every player in the league get’s put on waivers. it does matter if anyone claims them or not because the team that has them can pull them back. This a total non story

  2. Almost every player with a salary over 10mm is placed on waivers every year. Just because they are placed on waivers does not mean they will be traded. Iggest waiver trade ever made??? Probably Delmon Young. Get real folks unless the haul is insane cliff is going no where.

  3. Perhaps this is why Texas called up Olt too, possible showcase. They just lost Neftali to tommy john and oswalt still blows

  4. Rube the Boob. he cannot get away with being wrong about a guy 3 times. you traded him away, you should have stuck by your belief and not spent all that money, now by waiving him, you are admitting you fucked up. just resign you bum, and take your 2 worst signings with you(papelbum and rollins)

  5. Time for Montgomery to step in and fire Rube. Fuck Rubin Amaro Jr. He’s a fuckin’ moron.
    A’s look pretty good and have always been my #2…I’m about to jump the fuck off this sinking ship.

  6. Is Ryan Howard on waivers? How about Braun? Jeter?
    Its NOT common and every player does not go thru waivers.
    They want to see what they can get for him.

  7. Steve, im sure Howard is on waivers. the only reason this is a story is because Lee was a popular name at the deadline by writers who get played by GMs and also know nothing about what is going on. total non story

  8. To everyone questioning this, yes, this IS standard procedure. Damn near every single MLB player will be placed on waivers in August. Teams have the right to pull the player back once they are claimed. This will happen with most players.
    The players that clear waivers are eligible for trade, yes. And some do get traded. But Lee won’t.
    He will likely clear, because teams don’t want to risk the Phils saying “alright, take him” if they claim him (they’d then be on the hook for the entire contract). But it’s 99.9% he won’t get traded, unless a team comes up with a monster deal that RAJ can’t refuse. Doubtful.
    Calm down.

  9. Hey Kyle, give me a call sometime so I can explain the waiver process to you. I’d expect Philly’s most popular blogger with page views out the butt hole to understand that. (ps – congrats on the page views). Shockingly, this happens every year, in August. Figure you’d understand it by now.

  10. Mel, I need a lesson on waivers. I admit it. What is the purpose of placing a guy on waivers if you’re not going to move him? Some above have said “Most of the players in the MLB are on waivers.” Why? What is the advantage? Genuine Question here.
    Also, LOL @ Cal W placing the bar of intelligence at the point of knowing MLB Waiver rules.

  11. How about they put Halladay on waivers. He constantly throws temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his calls and is a guaranteed out at the plate. Lee gives us his all every game.

  12. Thanks for the update Kyle. But no, it is NOT cause for unease. It is standard.
    You worried about Howard, Chooch and Cole being placed on waivers, too? Because it will most likely happen. And I wouldn’t be uneasy about it. At all.

  13. Wow, this whole post is just classic. Like others have mentioned, pretty much every MLB player is placed on waivers after the non-waiver trade deadline. This happens every season, kind of a “just seeing what’s out there” sort of deal. Since a player can be pulled back if claimed, there’s no harm done in placing him on revocable waivers
    I’d like to say I expected better from this blog, but then I remembered which blog I was reading

  14. Wow im glad im one of 5 people who are not baseball retarded and on this blog. Standard procedure. To answer your faggot question steve. Howard is definately on and has passed thru waivers, along with utley, doc and pap. Is braun? Yes, along with hamilton, pujols, beltran, holliday, cano, tulowitzski. As someone else said the baseball fan base on crossing broad is half way to mentally retarded. Do your research you dumb fucks.

  15. So we could get Trout, Harper and Granderson to be our outfield? Right? everyone is on waivers.

  16. Kyle, can’t believe you regurged a DN story and managed to miss the entire point. You have sunk to a new low.

  17. Cheese, the Phillies could certainly put in a claim for those guys (as would most other teams) but their respective clubs would no doubt pull them back off waivers

  18. “Admittedly, we may have jumped the gun, a bit, on this. Often, waived players’ names aren’t released and, as many baseball people are pointing out right now, some of the game’s biggest stars get placed on waivers each year. But still, it’s cause for some unease.”
    What unease are you exactly referring to? Just admit you messed up rather than sugar coating your mistake.

  19. Aren’t we all overreacting a bit? This happens to the majority of the league’s players. It’s a standard move.
    One side note though: If Ruben would’ve kept his mouth shut, this wouldn’t be an issue at all. Now that he doesn’t have a first place team to hide behind, he’ll be a walking, PR nightmare.
    Oh, where have the good times gone?

  20. what is Ruben thinking???? Lee is pure class & doesn’t disrespect his family by cheating on his spouse like Victorino. SMH

  21. this blog is weird, every so often there’s a string of really bloggy (read: shitty reporting) stories done, usually followed by a serious one/recall to backtrack, then a regression to the pop-culture/tmz-esque stories (not hating on those, I don’t read this for the sports info obviously). no clue why this is a story, unless kyle doesn’t understand the waiver process or something.

  22. lol @ the dumb bandwagoners leaving. This is standard procedure.
    Don’t let the door hit you on the way out kiddos.

  23. Really??? Reuben should have never traded him the 1st time and had to pay more to get him back, just like he did with recent signing of Cole, GET RID OF REUBEN AND WHILE YOU’RE AT IT, HOWARD TOO, HE STINKS!!!!!! KEEP CLIFF LEE!!!

  24. Sometimes, the glaringly woeful lack of sports knowledge exhibited by the mental midgets who visit this site astonishes me. C’mon, people, stop your whining! The waiver wire procedere in baseball is about as important as the farts by African elephants contributing to global warming. Grow up and get a clue, you morons!

  25. Halladay, Hamels, and Lee in a rotation make a team, any team, instant contenders to win a championship (not this year, of course). You can always plug in journeymen position players as they are a dime a dozen. 2013 & 2014 can’t get here soon enough. In the meantime – I-G-G-L-E-S!!!!!

  26. what’s going in with Lee?? Anyoone pick him up yet???

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