Release waivers

The club must ‘seed’ the player through release waivers before official release. This process involves placing the player on waivers, making them available to all other clubs. This option is unconditional, meaning that all clubs can claim the waivered player. On the other side, the player can reject the proposals and get access to the free agent market.

Release waivers occur if the player’s contract is under assignment and the sides have contrary meanings about the conditions. They are a rare occurrence, often triggered when veterans refuse the outrighted assignment. This rarity underscores the significant impact of release waivers, as the releasing club must pick up the remaining contract. Once the player clears the procedure and accepts the proposal, he can join the release club. The new team gets the rights to the performer and his old contract.