Detroit Tigers MLB Trade and Roster Rumors: Team Places Starting Pitcher Justin Verlander on Revocable Waivers
The nonwaiver trade deadline has already come and gone, but the Detroit Tigers are still looking for ways to unload starting pitcher Justin Verlander.
According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers have placed Verlander on revocable waivers on Wednesday.
This shouldn't come as a surprise since teams tend to put their players on waivers to gauge the market for trade interest around the league. And if a team claims one of their players, they can always pull him off of waivers. As the name implies, it's revocable.
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However, in Verlander's case, it's a little different because the Tigers have been trying to unload him and the remaining $56 million in his contract before the deadline. If a team places a claim on Verlander, the Tigers can either let him leave and get nothing in return (unlikely), or they can discuss a trade with the interested team within 48 hours.
Crasnick has pointed out that moving Verlander is not going to be easy. He has full no-trade rights since he's a 10-year veteran who has played for at least five years with the same team. That means he can veto any trade the Tigers make with the team that claims him. His bloated contract may prevent teams from taking the risk as well.
Verlander is likely to go unclaimed after 48 hours and pass through waivers. That should give the Tigers the freedom to work out a trade with the 29 other teams in the league. His no-trade clause and big contract will continue to be a problem. But who knows, a team in need of a starting pitcher may be willing to take the risk.
In 22 starts this season, Verlander is 6–7 with a 4.29 earned run average (ERA) and a 1.44 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). He also has 126 strikeouts and 60 walks in 130 innings pitched.
