3:51PM: The Phillies officially announced Mayza’s claim, and Wheeler was placed on the 60-day IL in the corresponding move.
12:32PM: The Phillies have claimed left-hander Tim Mayza off waivers from the Pirates, according to a press release from the Bucs’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis (hat tip to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf). Philadelphia will need to clear a 40-man roster spot before the transaction becomes official, although this can easily be done by transferring Zack Wheeler to the 60-day injured list.
Mayza himself has been on the 60-day IL for much of the season, as the veteran reliever hasn’t pitched in a big league game since April due to a lat strain and a teres major strain. Mayza did start a rehab assignment this month, and pitched in four games (two in A-ball, two in Indianapolis) while working his way up to full readiness.
It would seem like Mayza is getting pretty close to being ready for an activation, and he’ll get to make his return for a contending team in Philadelphia. There hasn’t been any public word that Mayza had been designated for assignment or placed on outright waivers, though those moves aren’t always publicized, especially during August waiver claim season.
In adding Mayza prior to September 1, the Phillies ensure that Mayza is eligible for selection on a postseason roster. Between Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, and Tanner Banks, the Phils already have a good amount of left-handed bullpen depth, though it certainly doesn’t hurt to have another experienced arm on hand. Mayza has pitched in each of the last three postseasons, amassing a 2.08 ERA over 4 1/3 total playoff innings with the Blue Jays and Yankees.
Pittsburgh signed Mayza to a one-year, $1.15MM free agent deal back in February. The contract ended up being a wash for the team due to Mayza’s extended injury absence, though he did post a 2.89 ERA over his 9 1/3 innings in a Bucs uniform. The lefty was a pretty effective bullpen arm for most of his tenure in Toronto, but he struggled badly early in 2024 and was designated for assignment mid-season, with the Yankees putting in a claim. Mayza somewhat righted the ship with a 4.00 ERA over 18 innings for New York, but the Yankees still chose to non-tender him following the season.
With the Pirates well out of contention, the waiver claim will save Pittsburgh the approximately $190K remaining on Mayza’s 2025 salary. Since the Phillies are well over the highest tier of luxury tax penalization, Mayza’s price tag will cost them over $400K in both actual salary and additional tax money, though that isn’t exactly a big expenditure for a free-spending club intent on winning a championship.