Royals reliever Joakim Soria has cleared waivers, according to a report Thursday from Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball. The procedural move would allow Soria to be traded to any team this month, despite the non-waiver trade deadline passing on Aug. 1. Still, a trade would appear extremely remote.
As a matter of procedure, teams can place any player on revocable waivers after the trade deadline. If a player clears waivers, he is able to be traded to any team. But if he claimed during the waiver process, the original team can revoke the waiver request and retain the player. Soria, 32, was not claimed by any of the other 29 major-league teams.
In the first season of a three-year, $25 million contract, Soria has posted a 4.03 ERA while striking out 52 batters in 51 1/3 innings. He has struggled in high-leverage situations while his command has regressed from past seasons.
His contract status would likely diminish his value in the trade market. And the Royals, of course, are now operating with a depleted bullpen while still on the fringes of the playoff race. When contacted on Thursday, Royals general manager Dayton Moore declined to comment on the matter, citing club policy.
"Whether a player cleared waivers or not, that's not something we could comment on publicly," Moore said.
