Evan Scribner designated for assignment pending optional waivers

The Oakland Athletics announced they have designated Evan Scribner for assignment to make room on the 25-man roster for the arrivals of Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes. Scribner will probably be optioned soon, but Scribner must clear revocable optional waivers to be optioned to Sacramento because he made his first appearance on a Major League active roster more than three years ago.

Scribner cleared optional waivers during the previous waiver period, but those waivers expired with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and new waivers must be obtained that will last through the rest of the season. According to Blue Bird Banter, there exists a "gentleman's agreement" between major league GMs not to claim players on revocable waivers for the sole purpose of preventing a roster transaction.

In other transactional news today, the Athletics released Jim Johnson.

Update (3:16 PM) - San Francisco Chronicle A's beat writer Susan Slusser confirms that Evan Scribner will be optioned as soon as he clears waivers:

Evan Scribner is not coming off #Athletics 40 man roster. He must clear optional waivers (aka "Blevins waivers"). Just procedural.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) August 1, 2014

"Blevins waivers" refers to a similar situation Jerry Blevins went through in 2011. The current bargaining agreement allows for waivers on the weekend, however, which should limit this situation to essentially the immediate post-deadline period.