Philadelphia Phillies infielders Michael Young and Jimmy Rollins have cleared revocable trade waivers and are now eligible to be traded to any team in the league, according to reports from Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Both players have full no-trade clauses that are still in effect, and would have to approve any deal that the Phillies agreed upon.
Young was the subject of trade rumors in advance of last month's non-waiver trade deadline, and was willing to waive his no-trade clause to accept trades to the Rangers, Yankees and Red Sox, who all had interest in acquiring him. The Reds and Orioles also showed interest in the 36-year old, but his acceptance of a deal to either of those teams is considered unlikely. Young's preference is to head back to Texas, but the Rangers only showed limited interest in him in July. New York is now set at third base due to the return of Alex Rodriguez, but Boston may make a push for the veteran before the August 31st waiver deadline. Because any player sent back to Philadelphia for Young must first clear waivers, any trade made in August is considered complicated. Young is a free agent after the season, and will likely draw interest from many teams on the open market.
Rollins, 34, has shown no willingness to waive his no-trade clause, so a deal involving him is very unlikely. The Cardinals showed interest before the deadline, but Rollins' fourteen-year stint in Philadelphia likely means that he wants to finish his career with the Phillies. He is not a free agent until after the 2014 season.
While the news that Young and Rollins have cleared waivers means that Philadelphia can theoretically trade them to any team, their no-trade clauses complicate things. Young is by far the more likely of the pair to be dealt before the 31st, but his pickiness and regressing market will make it difficult for the Phillies to swing a deal.
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