A pair of Giants’ starting pitchers have cleared waivers.
According to a report from Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, both Jeff Samardzija and Matt Moore cleared waivers, which means the Giants can trade the starters at any point during the remainder of the regular season.
If a club wants Samardzija or Moore to appear on a playoff roster, a trade must be completed prior to September 1.
Heyman reported that the Giants placed both pitchers on waivers and that no teams placed a waiver claim on Samardzija or Moore, which gives San Francisco the flexibility to pursue trades with any club. However, because of a no-trade clause that prevents Samardzija from being dealt to 21 teams, the Giants’ options are limited if they want to give up the right-hander before the end of the 2017 season.
According to Andrew Baggarly of The San Jose Mercury News, the eight teams that Samardzija can be traded to include the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Angels, Nationals, A’s, Cubs and Red Sox. At this point in the year, the majority of those clubs are still in the playoff hunt, so it’s possible the Giants may find a willing trade partner in the immediate future.
However, it’s also possible that San Francisco general manager Bobby Evans will use this time to evaluate potential offers for both Samardzija and Moore, and wait until the offseason to determine how to move forward with the organization’s rotation. Samardzija is under contract for three more seasons, while San Francisco can exercise a team option on Moore this offseason that would slot in Moore’s salary at $9 million for the 2018 season.
Because Samardzija is owed close to $20 million over each of the final three seasons of his contract, it may be difficult for the Giants to find a willing trade partner. San Francisco may find that it would have to eat a significant portion of Samardzija’s contract, or settle for an unbalanced deal, which may also preclude the Giants from trading him.
If a deal isn’t completed prior to September 1 for either Samardzija or Moore, it’s highly unlikely a team would work to acquire either pitcher in the final month of the regular season.
Earlier this month, the Giants dealt relief pitcher George Kontos to the Pittsburgh Pirates after the franchise placed a waiver claim on Kontos. San Francisco did not receive anything in return for Kontos from Pittsburgh.