While the Dodgers haven’t yet placed Manny Ramirez on waivers, they have placed one of their pending free agent starting pitchers on waivers, per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:
#Dodgers put Kuroda on waivers. Rival exec: “I guarantee #Yankees are all over it.” Kuroda owed about $2.7M. Lilly not yet on waivers.
Kuroda this season is 8-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 24 starts, and has a career high with 118 strikeouts, set in 36 fewer innings than his previous career high in 2008. The 35-year old pitcher, who is in the final year of a three-year contract, is scheduled to pitch today for the Dodgers in Milwaukee.
Kuroda’s 2010 salary is $13 million. If he were to be moved, for example, on Friday, there would be 38 days left in the season, meaning a claiming team would be potentially responsible for $2,699,454 for the remainder of the season.
If claimed, the Dodgers would have the option to work out a trade with the claiming team, or simply let him go, relieving themselves of the responsibility of Kuroda’s remaining salary. If Kuroda clears waivers, they are free to trade him to any team prior to Tuesday night’s waiver trading deadline. However, Kuroda has a no-trade clause, so he would have to approve any deal.
According to Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, Kuroda projects to be a Type B free agent this winter, meaning the Dodgers would receive a supplemental draft pick between the first and second rounds of the 2011 draft as compensation should they offer him arbitration and he signs elsewhere. Of course, offering arbitration also brings the risk of Kuroda accepting, meaning he would end likely up with a one year deal with the Dodgers, likely near his current $13 million salary.