MLB waivers 2023: Updated list of players claimed, how it works, order of teams & more to know

The MLB playoff race is about to heat up. And some potential upgrades are going to be hitting the market for teams looking to bolster their postseason chances.

On Tuesday, several key players including Lucas Giolito, Harrison Bader, Mike Clevinger and Randal Grichuk were placed on outright waivers. Two days later, teams across the league will have a chance to put in a claim on those talents, potentially shoring up their rosters before the stretch run.

These waivers are different from how they've been in the past. It used to be that MLB had a waiver trade deadline at the end of August, where players would be placed on waivers, claimed by another team and traded to said team before the Aug. 31 deadline. However, that waiver trade deadline was eliminated in 2019.

Fantasy baseball players might think they know how waivers work, but it's not quite the same system as the process for picking up players recently cut in your leagues. In fact, the system is actually quite simple.

MORE: Angels send six players to waivers

How does the waiver process work, and who is available to be claimed? Here's what you need to know.

MLB players on waivers

The Angels made the most stunning waiver dump by placing six players on the wire, including three (Giolito, Grichuk and Reynaldo Lopez) acquired at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Several other players who were widely expected to be traded at the deadline like Bader and Clevinger also find themselves on waivers.

Here's a look at the list of players reportedly on waivers.

How do MLB waivers work?

Think of this as a salary dump. For the Angels, the idea is to get below the luxury tax threshold and avoid being penalized by the league when they inevitably send a qualifying offer to Shohei Ohtani in the offseason.

The process is quite simple. Teams place a player on outright waivers, allowing the other teams in the league a chance to claim him. The order for claiming players is based on reverse standings. Playoff position has nothing to do with it, meaning a team like the Twins, who have a worse winning percentage than any current wild card team, will have a chance to collect players before anyone in the wild card hunt. If two teams are tied, the tiebreaker is winning percentage in 2022. So for the Twins and Diamondbacks, who both sit at a .515 winning percentage on Thursday, Arizona would have the better waiver position because it finished with a .457 winning percentage in 2022 compared to Minnesota's .481.

MORE: Yankees season of nightmares

In fantasy sports, the number of waiver claims can often mean a team gets shuffled to the back of the line. That's not the case with these waivers. As long as a player reaches a team, that team can make as many claims as it wants. If the Athletics woke up feeling dangerous, they could claim every player on waivers before any of the other teams would have a chance.

When a player is claimed, that team owes them the remainder of their contract for the rest of the season. That player is also placed on the 40-man roster. So if a team claims too many players, it might have to designate others for assignment.

Any player claimed on waivers will be eligible for the postseason, so long as they are on the 40-man roster by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday. 

There is a chance that players will go unclaimed. If that is the case, they would remain with their current team. It used to be that players claimed on waivers could be pulled back. But now if a player is claimed, there is no going back: that player is headed to the new team. 

MLB waiver order 2023

The waiver order is based on reverse winning percentage in 2023, with tiebreakers looking at records from previous seasons. Here's a look at the 2023 waiver order, based on the standings as of Aug. 31.