In baseball, "designated for assignment" (DFA) is a procedural term used in Major League Baseball (MLB) that means a player is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster. Once a player is DFA'd, the team has up to seven days to decide what to do with the player. During this time, the team can:
- Trade the player to another team.
- Place the player on waivers, where other teams can claim him and take over his contract.
- Release the player.
- Send the player outright to the minor leagues (if the player clears waivers).
If the player is claimed by another team, that team must add him to their 40-man roster. If the player clears waivers, he might be sent to the minors or released, but players with certain amounts of MLB service time (over three years or previously outrighted) can reject a minor league assignment and choose free agency instead. Being DFA'd is different from being optioned to the minors; it essentially means the player is in a kind of roster limbo while the team decides their next step. It is often done to clear a roster spot for another player. The player continues to be under contract during this period, and any remaining salary is still paid according to contract terms unless the player is claimed or signs elsewhere after release.
