Baseball in Ohio just got a whole lot more interesting.
The Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds, both on the fringes of the playoff hunt in their respective leagues, claimed a combined five players off waivers -- headlined by right-hander Lucas Giolito and outfielder Hunter Renfroe -- on a unique day for Major League Baseball on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees were among the teams who placed veteran players on waivers Tuesday, hoping to cut their losses during a down season and get salary relief if the veterans were picked up by other teams. (MLB no longer allows for waiver trades, so the teams do not get any players in return.) The Guardians and Reds pounced, adding players who can help them down the stretch -- and who will also be eligible for the postseason, should the teams qualify. The Seattle Mariners also got into the action.
Here's a closer look at the moves -- and how they will affect the playoff races.
Cleveland Guardians claim RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Reynaldo Lopez, LHP Matt Moore from Los Angeles Angels
Grade: A-
How it affects the playoff race: This out-of-nowhere practice of setting useful players afloat to save a few bucks is going to need to be discussed by the league and other relevant parties because, from a competitive standpoint, it stinks all around. Who wants a playoff race decided like that? These concerns ought to be only tangentially of interest regarding the Guardians, whose postseason shot still lies on the wrong side of 10% even after this one-sided deal. (Three veterans for nothing.) That doesn't mean it wasn't worth doing.
First of all, the Minnesota Twins have spent the entire season handling first-place status in the American League Central as if it were radioactive, keeping the well-under-.500 Guardians alive, at least in the games-behind column. Cleveland's run differential and going-forward projection keep their chances low, but those fundamentals improve with the addition of three quality veterans. Cleveland probably doesn't make these moves if they hadn't beat the Twins over the past two days, trimming Minnesota's lead in the division to five games, but they did. Many teams have overcome larger deficits and this pickup sends a message to the fan base and the veterans in the clubhouse that Cleveland isn't looking beyond the opportunity at hand. That message means something in the wake of a trade deadline in which the Guardians added future value but did little to aid their short-term needs.
Finally, even if the Guardians don't turn the pickups into a playoff slot, the players' presence will make it easier for Cleveland to manage the workloads of its very young starting staff down the stretch. That, by itself, makes this worth doing. Giolito, if he can put the bad dream of Orange County behind him, can soak up rotation innings -- and indirectly, Lopez and Moore can do the same by deepening the bullpen. -- Bradford Doolittle
Cincinnati Reds claim OF Hunter Renfroe from Los Angeles Angels; OF Harrison Bader from New York Yankees
Grade: B
How it affects the playoff race: With Jonathan India, Matt McLain, Joey Votto, Kevin Newman and Jake Fraley all currently on the injured list, the Reds were simply desperate for healthy bodies. Third baseman/first baseman Spencer Steer has had to play some outfield and then started the past three games at second base after McLain got injured and they called up Noelvi Marte to play third base, but he's hit .171 in his first 11 games. Right fielder Will Benson has also struggled in August after hitting well in June and July.
Renfroe hit .242/.304/.434 with 19 home runs for the Angels, a dip in production from 2021 (31 home runs, .501 slugging) and 2022 (29 home runs, .492 slugging). He could end up playing regularly in right field. Bader didn't exactly tear it up with the Yankees, hitting .240/.278/.365, an OPS+ of 75 that ranks 222nd out of 238 players with at least 300 plate appearances. At his best, he can pummel lefties (career .507 slugging) and he's an excellent center fielder. If the Reds want to focus on their best defensive outfield, they'll slide TJ Fried over to left, play Bader in center and Renfroe in right.
The Reds are 10-17 in August and have had their worst offensive month. Renfroe and Bader are unlikely to turn that around, but at least the Reds now have better defensive options and flexibility until some of the injured players return. -- David Schoenfield
Seattle Mariners claim RHP Dominic Leone from Los Angeles Angels
Grade: C
How it affects the playoff race: Hey, maybe the Mariners just want Leone to retire in a Seattle uniform. The veteran reliever debuted with the Mariners back in 2014 (and had a stellar year as a rookie with eight wins and a 2.17 ERA). He's drifted around the league since then, playing for the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Guardians, Giants, Mets and Angels, with sporadic bursts of success. He actually began 2023 with the Rangers (although only pitched in the minors for them), signed with the Mets and was traded to the Angels. He hasn't really been that effective, with a 4.74 ERA and nine home runs allowed in 43 2/3 innings.
With Seattle, he'll basically be a last man out of the pen, although the Mariners have proven in recent seasons that they can get the best out of their relievers. Just this season, they've turned waiver-wire pickups Gabe Speier and Tayler Saucedo into key, high-leverage relievers. They'll also likely need the pen to carry a big workload in September as rookie starters Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo are seeing their innings start to pile up (Seattle had intended to go to a six-man rotation, but Emerson Hancock, another rookie, hurt his shoulder). -- Schoenfield