Right-hand reliever Nick Anderson has been dropped from the Tampa Bay Rays' 40-man roster and is now on waivers.
The Rays outrighted Anderson after barely playing in the past two MLB seasons. He has been hobbled by injuries and even missed the whole 2022 campaign, so Tampa Bay was never expected to tender him a contract offer anyway.
Anderson is on waivers and can be added by the 29 other teams to their major league roster. If he clears waivers, he will stay on the Rays' minor league system. However, as Jeff Pasan of ESPN noted, the 32-year-old can decline the outright assignment and become a free agent instead if he goes unclaimed. That is because he has played in the MLB for at least three years.
With that said, there is a good chance that Anderson's time with the Rays is over.
It remains to be seen if any team will be interested in Nick Anderson, though many will surely be cautious. He played just 16 2/3 innings in 2021 between the majors and minors–with Triple A team Durham–because of arm and back issues. Meanwhile in 2022, he dealt with an elbow injury (a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament) in his throwing arm as well as plantar fasciitis.
MLB teams lacking bullpen depth could take a serious look at Anderson considering that he doesn't command that much salary, meaning he could be a decent pickup if he is able to stay healthy. However, that latter part remains a big IF after what he has been through in the past couple of years.
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