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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →In Major League Baseball, a designation for assignment (DFA) is a roster-clearing move that starts a process; an outright assignment is a possible result after the player clears outright waivers. They are different stages, not interchangeable terms.
What happens after a player is designated for assignment?
- The club designates the contract for assignment. The player is immediately removed from that club’s 40-man roster. A DFA does not itself send the player to the Minors.
- The club has seven days to resolve the move. Under MLB’s current glossary guidance, it must trade the player or place him on outright or unconditional release waivers. The period was ten days under the 2012–16 Collective Bargaining Agreement. See MLB’s DFA glossary.
- The player is claimed, outrighted, or released. A claiming club adds him to its 40-man roster. If he clears outright waivers, his club may assign him to the Minors, subject to his rights. Clearing unconditional release waivers results in an unconditional release. MLB explains the possible outcomes in its outright assignment glossary.
How a DFA, outright assignment, and optional assignment differ
| Transaction | Effect on 26-man active roster | Effect on 40-man roster | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional assignment | The player leaves | The player remains | A player with an available option is sent to the Minors. |
| Designation for assignment | The player is removed | The player is removed | The club starts a process to trade, waive, release, or potentially outright the player. |
| Outright assignment | The player is assigned to the Minors | The player is off his former club’s 40-man roster | A possible result after the player clears outright waivers, subject to his rights. |
An optional assignment is the ordinary send-down route when a player has an option available: he leaves the active roster but stays on the 40-man roster. An out-of-options player must be designated for assignment and pass through outright waivers before he can be assigned to the Minors. MLB describes options in its option glossary and the out-of-options process in its outright assignment glossary.
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What happens on outright waivers?
Outright waivers give the other 29 MLB clubs an opportunity to claim the player. Claiming priority is based on reverse winning percentage. A club that claims him assumes the remaining money owed under his contract and adds him to its 40-man roster. If no club claims him and he clears waivers, his current club may assign him outright to the Minors, subject to applicable player rights. These rules are summarized in MLB’s outright assignment glossary.
Can a player refuse an outright assignment?
Not every player has the same right to reject the move. MLB’s glossary says a player with more than five years of Major League service time may reject an assignment to the Minors. A player with more than three years of service time, or one who has previously been outrighted, may reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency. Those thresholds and rights apply to outright assignments; they should not be assumed for every player or treated as a general right to refuse a DFA.
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