Former White Sox starter Lucas Giolito was placed on irrevocable waivers by the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.
Other notable White Sox players, Reynaldo Lopez (former) and Mike Clevinger (current), were also placed on waivers.
It's a surprising move. But it's a means for teams who aren't in the playoff race to save salary by dumping off ones they don't plan to return to next season.
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But that doesn't mean there won't be heavy interest in the players on waivers. MLB Insider Jon Heyman asserts many of the players placed on waivers will be signed, including, most notably, Giolito.
"Giolito has gotta be claimed, right? ... Giolito should be claimed for sure," Jon Heyman said on MLB Network.
MORE: Analysis: Should the Cubs claim Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López or Matt Moore?
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Giolito and López were traded to the Angels on July 26 in exchange for minor league prospects Ky Bush and Edgar Quero.
Giolito has appeared in six games for the Angels, posting a 1-5 record and a 6.89 ERA. He has given up 10 home runs in just 32.2 innings, with 34 strikeouts and 15 walks.
López has appeared in 12 games for Los Angeles, with a 2.31 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 11.2 innings of work.
Both Giolito and López are free agents at season’s end, meaning that any team that claims them on waivers would have to pay their prorated salaries for the remainder of the year.
Teams will get waiver priority based on their current record, and Passan believes multiple playoff teams could be in the market for any of the four players.
As for the Angels, they have been in a free fall since the MLB trade deadline, falling 11.5 games back in the wild-card race. They also have lost the pitching services of Shohei Ohtani for the remainder of the season, leading them to decide to trim their salary for the remainder of the year.