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Veteran Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson and left-hander Jonathon Niese have both cleared waivers, according to sources, and both players are now eligible to be traded to any team.
Granderson clearing waivers is to be expected, but it is a bit of a surprise that Niese would go unclaimed, though it's possible teams just didn't believe there was any great likelihood the Mets would trade the young left-hander to a claiming team within the allotted two-day time frame.
One more interesting Mets veteran to watch this month is veteran pitcher Bartolo Colon. It isn't known whether Colon has passed through waivers yet, though executives see him as a trade candidate this month, either via a waiver claim or more likely after going unclaimed.
The Mets would seem to have a stash of starting pitchers for next year, with needs in left field and possibly shortstop.
The Dodgers have been an aggressive team in August, already adding veteran pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia, while the Angels could be on the lookout for another starter after Tyler Skaggs was likely lost for this year and next with an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery.
Granderson actually has played decently since a rough start in Queens, and is hitting .232 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI. His contract is a tad high, however, as he signed a $60-million, four-year free-agent deal with the Mets after leaving the Yankees.
Niese is 6-8 with a 3.46 ERA after seven two-run innings while getting the win in the Mets' 5-3 win at Philadelphia on Monday afternoon. Niese is in the third year of a five-year, $25.5-million contract. He makes $5 million this year, $7 million next year and $9 million in 2016 with $1 million in buyout money between '17 and '18 according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
