What Is DFA in Baseball? Meaning and What Happens Next

DFA in baseball stands for “designated for assignment.” When an MLB team DFA’s a player, that player is immediately removed from the team’s 40-man roster.

The team then has seven days to trade the player or place him on outright or unconditional release waivers. Depending on what happens next, the player may join another MLB team, remain in the organization in the Minor Leagues, or be released.

Most importantly, being DFA’d does not automatically mean a player has been released or sent to Triple-A.

What Does DFA Mean in Baseball?

Designated for assignment is an MLB roster move that immediately opens a spot on a team’s 40-man roster.

The 40-man roster includes a team’s active Major League players along with certain injured players and Minor League players whose contracts are protected.

Every player on an MLB team’s active 26-man roster must also be on its 40-man roster.

So when a player is DFA’d, the immediate result is simple:

He loses his spot on the 40-man roster while the team determines what happens next.

Why Do MLB Teams DFA Players?

One common reason is that a team needs a 40-man roster spot for another player.

Imagine a team wants to call up a pitcher from Triple-A, but its 40-man roster is already full.

The club must make room before adding that pitcher. One option is to DFA another player and open the roster spot immediately. MLB specifically lists DFA as one way teams can clear a full 40-man roster.

Teams may also DFA players because of performance, roster changes, trades, new signings, or because a player is out of Minor League options.

An out-of-options player cannot simply be sent to the Minors like an optionable player. He must first be removed from the 40-man roster and pass through outright waivers.

What Happens After a Player Is DFA’d?

The easiest way to understand the process is:

DFA → removed from 40-man roster → seven-day window → trade or waivers → next destination

Here are the main outcomes.

The Player Can Be Traded

A team can trade a DFA’d player during the seven-day period.

If another club still sees value in the player, it may make a deal rather than risk losing the chance to acquire him through the waiver process.

Another Team Can Claim Him on Waivers

The player can also be placed on waivers.

If another club claims him, he is added to that team’s 40-man roster.

The new club can then place him on its 26-man roster or option him to the Minor Leagues if he still has Minor League options available.

He Can Stay With the Organization

A DFA does not always mean the player leaves his current organization.

If he clears outright waivers without being claimed, his team may be able to assign him outright to the Minor Leagues.

So a player could be removed from the MLB roster but still end up playing for the same organization in Triple-A.

Certain veteran players have the right to reject an outright Minor League assignment.

The Player Can Be Released

A team may also place the player on unconditional release waivers.

If he clears those waivers, he is released from the organization and can become available to sign elsewhere.

Is DFA the Same as Being Released, Waived, or Optioned?

No. These terms describe different parts of MLB roster management.

The biggest difference between a DFA and an option is the 40-man roster.

An optioned player stays on it.

A DFA’d player comes off it.

This is why seeing that a player was “DFA’d” is more significant than simply seeing that he was optioned to Triple-A.

The Bottom Line

DFA means designated for assignment.

When an MLB player is DFA’d, he is immediately removed from the team’s 40-man roster. The club then has seven days to trade him or move him through the appropriate waiver process.

The key thing to remember is that DFA does not automatically mean released.

The player could still be traded, claimed by another club, remain with the organization in the Minors, or eventually become a free agent.