Diamondbacks come up empty on waiver claims
The Arizona Diamondbacks came up empty in Thursday’s waiver claim sweepstakes despite submitting claims on four players, all of whom were awarded to teams higher up in the waiver pecking order, a source said.
Based on reports, only three teams came away with players: The Cleveland Guardians landed pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Matt Moore, all of whom were on waivers from the Los Angeles Angels; the Cincinnati Reds got outfielders Harrison Bader from the New York Yankees and Hunter Renfroe from the Angels; and the Seattle Mariners claimed reliever Dominic Leone, the last of the Angels players to relocate.
It is not entirely clear which four players the Diamondbacks claimed, but the only player they certainly passed on was Leone, who was awarded to a Mariners team that was behind the Diamondbacks in waiver priority. A source said the Diamondbacks claimed both pitchers and position players.
MLB Playoffs format, schedule: What to know about 2023 baseball postseason
The outcome likely is disappointing for the Diamondbacks, who seemingly could have benefitted from adding pitchers such as Giolito, Lopez or Moore to their staff. Then again, with those pitchers staying in the American League, it could be seen as a relief that they did not land with one of the teams with whom the Diamondbacks are competing for a wild-card spot.
The Angels, among other teams, dumped a number of players on waivers on Tuesday. After falling out of the pennant race, they were able to save several million dollars by having those players, and their contracts, relocate to other teams.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks come up empty on waiver claims
