Guardians grab Lucas Giolito as Angels castoffs find homes - ESPN

The Cleveland Guardians claimed three players off waivers Thursday afternoon, including right-handed starter Lucas Giolito, benefitting from the Los Angeles Angels' intentional deconstruction after mortgaging their farm system just 37 days ago in an ill-fated attempt to make the postseason, sources told ESPN.

The Guardians also claimed right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez and left-handed reliever Matt Moore from the Angels' purge, sources told ESPN.

The Angels on Tuesday also had waived outfielder Hunter Renfroe, outfielder Randal Grichuk and right-handed reliever Dominic Leone as the half-dozen players, all impending free agents, which allowed them to be picked up by teams for a $50,000 fee. The claiming team with the worst record was awarded the player. The Angels, after a disastrous August that saw them fall completely out of contention, shed the players to save money and dip beneath the first luxury-tax threshold of $233 million.

Prior to 2019, waivers in August were revocable, allowing teams to pull back — or trade — players claimed. With post-trade deadline deals no longer allowed, teams use the waiver period in hopes another organization will take on a player's contract.

Never had a team availed itself of the system quite like the Angels. On July 26, the day they decided not to trade superstar free-agent-to-be Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles acquired Giolito and Lopez from the Chicago White Sox for top catching prospect Edgar Quero and left-hander Ky Bush. Four days later, they dealt for Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron and a day later landed Leone.

Then they collapsed, going an American League-worst 8-19 in August, with Ohtani injuring his pitching elbow and Mike Trout playing one game after a return from hand