Reds' Suárez and Friedl Clear Waivers, Remain in Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Reds placed Eugenio Suárez and TJ Friedl on waivers, and both players cleared unclaimed, per a report from Ken Rosenthal. They remain with the Reds and, having already gone through the process, cannot be placed on waivers again.

The timing matters because August 31 functions as a secondary roster-building deadline. Any player who moves to a new organization after that date is ineligible for postseason play, which is what gives late-August waiver activity its particular urgency — and its particular drama when nothing happens.

How the process works

The August waiver process operates identically to the standard waiver procedure used when a player is designated for assignment, with two notable differences. First, a player on waivers but not yet designated can continue to appear in games while the clock runs — neither he nor the public may know he's on waivers unless a reporter like Rosenthal surfaces it. Second, if the player goes unclaimed, he simply stays on the active roster rather than entering the limbo that follows a designation.

Waiver priority runs worst-to-first by record at the time of placement. Claims are irrevocable. The only compensation that changes hands is the standard $50,000 waiver fee paid by any claiming team, and the claiming team absorbs the full remaining contract obligation.

What the deadline means going forward

Players can still be waived after August 31, but any player who lands with a new organization in September is locked out of October. That makes Monday a meaningful cutoff for contenders looking to add depth through the waiver wire rather than the trade market, which closed on August 3.

Historically, the players most likely to move through August waivers are pending free agents, whose remaining salary obligations are modest enough that a claiming team can absorb them without significant risk. Players attached to long-term contracts tend to hit waivers and clear unclaimed — Jon Becker's piece cites Tyler Anderson clearing waivers in year one of a three-year, $39 million deal as an illustration of that dynamic.

Suárez and Friedl now fall into the cleared-and-staying category. What remains unresolved is whether the Reds or any other club will pursue additional waiver activity before the deadline passes.