source [rquoter] Marlins sign Lo Duca to minor-league deal By JOE CAPOZZI Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday, August 08, 2008 NEW YORK — The Florida Marlins acted today to bolster their catching. They signed free agent Paul Lo Duca, who played for the club in 2004-05, to a minor-league contract. He'll report to Class AAA Albuquerque and prepare to join the parent club if needed. The Marlins, according to a source, also claimed 39-year-old catcher Brad Ausmus off waivers from the Houston Astros. The Marlins' regular catcher, Matt Treanor, played yesterday but previously had missed approximately a month because of injuries. The Marlins also have lightly experienced John Baker and Paul Hoover. Lo Duca was recently released by the Washington Nationals. He hit .230 with no homers and 12 RBI in 46 games this season. He spent the 2006 and '07 seasons with the New York Mets, whom the Marlins face tonight. "I'm excited for the chance to get back," Lo Duca said this afternoon. "I just want an opportunity to help a team that has a chance to go to the playoffs." Ausmus is hitting .235 with one home run and 18 RBI. [/rquoter] Ausmus haters (I know there are quite a few of you out there) rejoice! Of course, the 'stros may just pull him back and the Marlins may just be trying to block something to someone else...
No idea he was on waivers. This is a pretty common thing though isn't it? In baseball, they put players on waivers then pull them back.
Yeah, I think after the trade deadline teams will generally put everyone on waivers and pull players out when other teams claim them. Whoever passes through waivers unclaimed are tradeable after the deadline.
Normally with a player of Ausmus' quality (i.e. not a star player) teams don't make blocking claims. As an example, the Padres just put Brian Giles on waivers. The Sox claimed him, and the Sox and Padres worked out a deal. Brian Giles was able to veto the trade, but otherwise Giles would be a member of the Red Sox. Add to that that the Marlins actually need veteran catching, and I think there is a pretty good chance that Ausmus ends up traded to the Marlins for a marginal minor league prospect.
The Astros may not be willing to admit they're out of it, so they could keep Ausmus. Also, the veteran catcher has the right to block a move because of has 10 years of service time, five with the same team. Odds are that he'll stay in Houston. http://www.rotoworld.com/content/pl...news.asp?sport=MLB&id=1867&line=246342&spln=1
Why? Why? Why? was he put on waivers? I know he was not hitting real well, but................. Brad is a class act, great with pitchers, played good defense, will be a future coach. Why this.....now? He was one of my favorite players, you can be nothing proud but have a high character player like Brad on our team. I think he will be really missed in the club house. Sorry to see him treated like this. Am I missing something?
So Ausmus sucking at the plate for what seems like an eternity makes it ok? I don't doubt that Ausmus is great behind the plate, but it would be nice for him to compliment that with some timely hitting... btw, I had no idea he was put on waivers...
After the trading deadline many players from every team are placed on waivers to see if they pass through unclaimed. If so, they can be traded, if not, they can either be pulled back, let go or a deal can be worked out with the claiming team. I suspect Ausmus has been placed on waivers August 1 many times in his career.
As was mentioned above...generally teams put most everyone on waivers after the trade deadline..and pull them back after someone claims them. If they sneak through you can trade them after the deadline if someone gives you a "wow" offer. Just another option to have. It's no insult to Ausmus and he isn't going anywhere. (though if a team in contention offered us a spare part..and Ausmus wanted to have one last pennant race in what is probably his final season as a player...would certainly do it.)
Yes. MLB has two types of waivers. Revocable and Non-revocable. A team that places a player on waivers for the first time (revocable waivers), has a few options. It can either let the player go to other team straight up, it can work out a trade with the other team, or it can pull the player back off waivers. Teams tend to put a lot of players, valuable and insignificant, through waivers because if they don't get a trade offer they like they can just pull the player back. It gives teams a lot more roster maneuverability after the non-waiver trade deadline. In Brad's case, it's extremely unlikely the Astros would let him go just to dump salary. It's also unlikely they'll get a package worth trading Ausmus for, but if the Marlins did decide to go for it and offer up something big for Ausmus, the Astros would be crazy not to take it. I'd take a decent-ceiling corner infield prospect below double A for Ausmus. If the Astros pull him back not liking the Marlin's offer, they could then place him back on waivers. Only this time it would be non-revocable. So either Brad would go to the team that claims him or he would be cut. There's also the issue of blocking in waiver claims but thats another subject.
