Every year around this time we hear about several big-league stars clearing through waivers, and with the news fans everywhere wonder what the hell is going through their favorite teams' minds to let guys like Manny Ramirez or Albert Pujols or you name the star go on waivers.
Of course, what those fans don't know is that it really means nothing. It's usually just a test to see if a team will claim a player, usually one with a huge contract, at which time things would get interesting. But it never happens.
On Monday, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that several Rangers stars cleared waivers and another, Neal Cotts, will learn his waiver fate on Tuesday. Alex Rios cleared waivers a couple of weeks ago.
But on Monday, a slew of big-name Rangers cleared waivers, meaning they technically could now be traded to any team. The list included Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo and, yes, Yu Darvish.
It's unlikely anything comes out of any of those, especially Darvish and Choo — Darvish because the Rangers won't trade him, and Choo partly for that reason and partly because his contract his so huge, and new. It would take a ransom to end all ransoms in return to get the Rangers to part with Beltre. But the one interesting in that bunch is Andrus, who has been tossed around in trade rumors for a while now, however unlikely an Andrus deal might be.
So rest easy, Rangers fans. These moves mean pretty much nothing.
