MLB waivers, explained: How does MLB waivers work and what are the tiebreakers?

While the MLB trade deadline has long passed, contenders still have an opportunity to improve in August and September via the waiver wire. Dozens of players are placed on waivers throughout the last two months of the season, many of which are never announced to the public.

Teams that have fallen out of contention and want to shed salary often place certain players on waivers, giving contending teams the chance to add to a playoff-bound roster. If said players pass through waivers without a claim, they become outright free agents.

The Los Angeles Angels made waves in summer 2023 by placing several key additions made at the trade deadline on waivers not a month later. An injury to Shohei Ohtani and some lackluster play sealed their fate.

How to MLB waivers work?

When a player is placed on waivers in baseball, every other team has the opportunity to claim him/her. A waiver order is determined ahead of time to decipher which teams get first dibs, and which contenders are forced to wait until later in the process. If a team claims said player, they assume responsibility for the rest of that player's contract. That player is also immediately placed on the 40-man roster.

How is the MLB waivers order determined?

The waiver wire order is determined by winning percentage. Thus, the team with the worst record in baseball gets the first chance to claim any player placed on waivers. The best team in baseball -- right now the Atlanta Braves -- would lose a waiver tiebreaker against any other team which put in a claim on that same player.

MLB waivers tiebreakers, explained

If multiple teams have the same winning percentage (such is the case on Thursday as the Red Sox, Twins and Diamondbacks are all at a .515 winning percentage), then the player is awarded to the team with the lowest 2022 winning percentage. 2022 winning percentage is the first tiebreaker in this case.

What happens if a player is unclaimed on MLB waivers?

If a player goes unclaimed on waivers, they become an unrestricted free agent, meaning they can sign with any team. However, the team that signs said player does not owe the remainder of their previous salary, which would have occurred had a team claimed the player during the waiver claims process.