Alex Rios Claimed Off Waivers, Who Is The Mystery Team?

ESPN is reporting a story that Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios has been claimed off waivers, but the team has not been reported as to who made the claim.

The Blue Jays apparently have three options with this claim on Rios:

1. Work on a deal and trade Rios to the mystery team.

2. Pull him off waivers and keep Rios for the rest of 2009.

3. Allow Rios to walk away and be claimed by the mystery team for 2009.

Rios is considered to be having an off season, only hitting .261 with 12 home runs and 58 RBI after signing a seven-year, $69.8 million dollar extension with Toronto in 2008.

It's well known that the Blue Jays and general manager J.P. Ricciardi were looking to shed payroll. They had Roy Halladay on the trading block all summer, but were unable to make a deal and they traded Scott Rolen to the Cincinnati Reds. The Blue Jays were also rumored to want to deal center fielder Vernon Wells and his huge contract.

Rios is only 28 years old and could easily rebound by playing extremely well somwhere else, so seeing Rios go elsewhere wouldn't be surprising.

Sources have said the San Francisco Giants could be interested, as they desperately needed bats for their offense; they did add Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez before the trading deadline and if they were to add Rios for a playoff run, it would only benefit them. The Giants also have the money to make this deal as well.

The story on ESPN also mentioned the New York Mets looking to add players onto their team, but they haven't been looking to add major payroll, and with Rios' contract, it would be just that.

The one final team to throw in here is the Yankees. They have the money to add anyone they want, they are in a heated pennant race with the Red Sox and Rays, and with the loss of Xavier Nady for 2009, they could always use another outfielder, especially since Rios is a right-handed bat, something the Yankees lack since they are so left-handed heavy.

It may be a longshot to think the Yankees would be the team, but it's one to consider.

So we are all now left in the dark for now as to who the mystery team is that is claiming Rios, but if we can find out who it is and they are able to claim him and acquire Rios, they are getting a good, young bat who is still in the prime of his career and could benefit from a change of scenery.