Yanks place Henson on waivers

[WebHamster]

New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees put third baseman Drew Henson on waivers Thursday after both sides agreed to terminate his six-year, $17 million dollar contract earlier this week. The move paves the way for Henson to pursue a career in the NFL as a quarterback.

The former Michigan signal caller, who was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of last year's NFL Draft, will apparently forfeit the full $12 million remaining on the deal.

"We have today concluded an agreement to release Drew Henson and the Yankees from the contract dated April 10, 2001, so that Drew may pursue a career in the National Football League. On behalf of the entire organization, we wish Drew the best of luck with his career in the NFL," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

Henson will become a free agent if no other team in the majors claims him. It's unlikely that a team would put a claim on him with the money that he was supposed to earn from New York.

The 6-foot-5, 222-pound Henson hit just .234 with 14 home runs, 122 strikeouts and 28 errors last season at Triple-A Columbus, his third year at that level. Henson, who will turn 24-years old later in February, was never seriously considered to step in at third base when Yankee starter Aaron Boone suffered a serious knee injury last week.

Once a teammate of current Patriots quarterback Tom Brady at Michigan, Henson threw for 2,946 yards in three seasons for the Wolverines.

The Texans, with David Carr already cemented as their starting quarterback, will hold an open workout on February 12 to allow Henson to showcase his skills to other NFL teams. Houston will apparently search for the best offer for Henson, with Dallas, Miami, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Kansas City expected to be the frontrunners for his services.

The Yankees also said Thursday that Boone would have exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his left knee next Tuesday. Boone injured his knee during a pickup basketball game on January 16.

[DK]

I wonder if Drew had panned out in AAA and he was on his way to becoming a star. Would the Yankees still have dumped him? Would he still have wanted to go?

[Absolutely Adequate]

What exactly is a waiver? Can somebody explain the nuances to me?