Report: Rays place Nick Anderson on waivers

The Tampa Bay Rays have placed right-handed reliever Nick Anderson on waivers, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.

It's the first move of what could possibly be a busy winter for the Rays, with the club discussing trades involving first baseman Ji-Man Choi and pitchers Yonny Chirinos, Ryan Yarbrough, and Shawn Armstrong, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Anderson, 32, didn't pitch in the majors last year while recovering from a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm and plantar fasciitis. He made 17 appearances with Triple-A Durham while rehabbing, struggling to a 5.63 ERA and 6.82 FIP.

Anderson also barely pitched in 2021, amassing 16 2/3 innings between the majors and Triple-A due to arm and back strains.

When healthy in 2019 and at the start of 2020, Anderson was among the best closers in the league. He posted a 2.77 ERA and 2.15 FIP over 81 1/3 innings between the pair of campaigns, notching seven saves with a dominant 42.2% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate.

Anderson is entering his first offseason of arbitration eligibility and is projected to earn $845,000, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

The other 29 teams, in reverse order of standings starting with the American League, will now get a chance to claim Anderson. If he goes unclaimed, the Rays will keep him in the minors and off the 40-man roster. However, Anderson can decline an outright assignment and elect for free agency instead.