Billy Wagner Placed On Waivers

Jayson Stark of ESPN is reporting the following,

According to a major league source, the Mets placed Wagner on trade waivers Wednesday. That means those waivers would expire at 1 p.m. EDT Friday, hours before Wagner is scheduled to be activated and make his long-awaited return from Tommy John Surgery.

It’s unlikely Wagner would be claimed, since any team claiming him would be on the hook for approximately $2.7 million of his $8.5 million salary for this year, plus a $1 million buyout of his option for 2010. So if, as expected, he goes unclaimed, the Mets would be able to trade him to any interested club.

If the 38-year-old lefthander is claimed, they would have until next Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 25) to work out a deal with the team that claims him.

With Francisco Rodriguez under contract long-term and Wagner about to become a free agent, the Mets are expected to work aggressively to try to trade their former closer before the Aug. 31 waiver trading deadline. In the current economic climate, it’s also likely that the Mets will have to eat at least some of the money left on Wagner’s contract if they hope to get a useful prospect in return.

Wagner could be activated from the DL tomorrow.