MLB All-Waiver Team

Surprisingly, there have been a ton of well-known players in MLB who have been placed on the waiver wire at one point in their career. Even future Hall of Famers like Jim Thome and John Smoltz have been through waivers, but they were in the process of winding down their careers.

On the other hand, even players like Heath Bell, who were in the middle of their prime, have been placed on waivers before as well.

Here's what the all-waiver team would look like.

Catcher: Mike Piazza (2007)

It was Mike Piazza's final season in the majors and he happened to be put on waivers.

The Oakland Athletics owed him $8.5 million in 2007, so needless to say, they were looking to get rid of that contract any way they could.

1st Base: Jim Thome

It's been a while since Jim Thome has actually played first base, but there was a day when he did.

The Minnesota Twins placed him on waivers and he was picked up by the Cleveland Indians.

Thome cranked his 600th home run weeks earlier, so it was nice to see him return to the Indians to finish up his career.

2nd Base: Robinson Cano (2009)

It came as a shock to many when the New York Yankees placed Robinson Cano, their young second baseman, on waivers.

He was batting .309 at the time and playing solid defense up the middle.

Well, you know the rest of the story. The Yankees ended up keeping Cano and he helped them win the World Series that year.

3rd Base: Troy Glaus (2007)

Troy Glaus spent two years with the Toronto Blue Jays, but he was placed on waivers during the second season. He was due only $24 million over the next two years, but he was still able to clear waivers.

He wasn't having that fantastic of a season, however, and finished with a .262 average in 2007.

Shortstop: Miguel Tejada (2007)

Miguel Tejada was placed on waivers by the Baltimore Orioles during the 2007 season, and he was picked up by the Chicago White Sox.

The two sides did not strike a deal, however, so Tejada stayed an Oriole for the remainder of the season.

Left Field: Pat Burrell (2007)

The Philadelphia Phillies were locked in paying $13 million to Pat Burrell in 2007 and $14 million more in 2008. He also had a full no-trade clause, so it put the Phillies in quite a predicament.

He ended up clearing waivers and staying with the Phillies for the two years remaining on his contract. It turned out to be a wise decision for both parties because the Phillies won the World Series in 2008—Burrell's final year with the club.

Center Field: Carlos Beltran (2010)

Carlos Beltran was set to be owed $18.5 million in both 2010 and 2011. On top of that, he wasn't preforming to the best of his abilities since returning from his knee surgery.

However, Beltran cleared waivers and was stuck on the New York Mets for the rest of 2010. The Mets weren't able to rid themselves of his contract until they shipped him off to the San Francisco Giants before the 2011 trade deadline.

Right Field: Manny Ramirez

The Los Angeles Dodgers had finally had enough and placed Manny Ramirez on waivers.

The Chicago White Sox put in a claim and he was traded there shortly after.

Starting Pitcher: John Smoltz (2009)

It looks like John Smoltz should've hung up the cleats just a little bit earlier. 

The Boston Red Sox placed him on waivers after a disappointing and short stint with the team. He cleared waivers, and then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals shortly after to shore up their bullpen.

Closer: Heath Bell (2011)

Heath Bell was placed on waivers during the 2009 season, and the San Francisco Giants bit.

However, the Giants likely put in a claim just to block other contending teams from being awarded the claim. Bell stayed with the Padres until the end of the season, but then left to sign a free-agent contract with the Miami Marlins.