Out of the blue, it was reported that the New York Yankees had claimed former playoff nemesis, Oscar Gonzalez, on waivers from the Cleveland Guardians
As always, the excellent Jeff Ellis of Locked On Guardians offered a good summary of the timing for the move.
There are some reasons for clearing a roster spot. 1) Guardians might be near some kind of acquisition 2) There might be a player they could be considering for the Rule 5 3) With FA occurring and the Rule 5 on the horizon right now is the best chance to pass a guy through waivers
— Jeffmlbdraft (@jeffMLBdraft) December 1, 2023
Given Gonzalez’s inability to avoid chasing bad pitches, and to display a consistent ability to make good contact and lift the ball, it isn’t a surprise to see the Guardians try to sneak him through waivers and risk losing him to free up the 40-man spot.