The Miami Marlins claimed reliever Matt Moore off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Moore was claimed off waivers, in addition to Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, from the Los Angeles Angels by Cleveland in late August. At the time, the Guardians still had playoff hopes, but those have practically vanished amid their mediocre September. The Marlins are still in the National League Wild Card playoff race, but Moore will not be eligible for the postseason even if they clinch a spot in October.

MLB's rules state that a player must be on the 40-man roster or 60-day IL prior to the August 31st deadline in order to be eligible for the playoffs, according to MLB.com. That means Moore will not be able to be apart of the Marlins' playoff roster even if they lock up an NL Wild Card spot.

So why claim Moore?

Marlins claim Matt Moore off waivers

Moore, 34, is a talented starter-turned-reliever. He's set to hit free agency following the 2023 season. There are a number of reasons why Miami may have decided to claim Moore. Perhaps they were impressed by his performance in 2023 and wanted to establish a relationship prior to free agency. Miami could attempt to sign him to a deal during the offseason.

Additionally, the Marlins aren't guaranteed a playoff spot yet. They are currently a half-game out of the final NL Wild Card spot. Moore could come in and at least help Miami reach the playoffs.

In the end, teams are still getting used to the waiver system. It wasn't something ball clubs previously relied on, but it can make a major difference down the stretch.