Washington Nationals outfielder David DeJesus has been claimed on waivers by the Rays, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago.
Rays claim David DeJesus on waivers
The Nats have until 1:00p.m. ET on Friday to decide if they want to trade the newly acquired outfielder.
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The Nats have until 1:00p.m. ET Friday to decide whether to pull DeJesus back from the waiver wire, work out a trade with the Rays, or let him (and his $2.5 million salary) go to the Tampa Bay for nothing. If DeJesus is dealt, it would be the second time he’s changed teams this week.
DeJesus, 33, was acquired by the Nats on Monday for a player to be named later, but was immediately placed back on revocable waivers. This odd move caused ESPN’s Buster Olney to speculate that Washington may have won the claim on the switch-hitting outfielder by accident.
Teams often claim players to prevent them from going to other clubs, but it's rare for a deal to be struck when that happens. However, when the Nats claimed the outfielder over the weekend, the Cubs declined to pull him back off the wire, forcing Washington to make a deal and potentially eat $2.5 million in unwanted salary.
Nats GM Mike Rizzo told the Washington Post that DeJesus would improve the club’s bench and that he was capable of “being an everyday player,” but his immediate placement on waivers seems to indicate otherwise.
DeJesus is batting .248/.328/.399 with six home runs in 86 games this season. He has roughly $1 million remaining on his salary this year, but also holds a $6.5 million club option with a $1.5 million buyout for next season.
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