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What happens after a player is designated for assignment?
- The club designates the contract. The player immediately comes off that club’s 40-man roster. A DFA does not, by itself, mean he has already been sent to the Minors. See MLB’s DFA glossary.
- The club has seven days to resolve the transaction. Under current MLB glossary guidance, it can trade the player or place him on outright or unconditional release waivers. MLB says the period was ten days under the 2012–16 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- The player is claimed, assigned, 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. If he clears unconditional release waivers, he is unconditionally released.
So, the terms describe different stages: DFA is the designation and roster-clearing process; outright assignment is a possible destination after waiver clearance.
How the transactions affect the rosters
| Transaction | 26-man active roster | 40-man roster | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional assignment | Player leaves | Player remains | A player with an available option is sent to the Minors. |
| Designation for assignment | Player is removed | Player is removed | The club begins a process to trade, waive, release, or potentially outright the player. |
| Outright assignment | Player is assigned to the Minors | Player has been removed from his former club’s 40-man roster | A possible result after outright-waiver clearance, subject to player 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. MLB explains that an out-of-options player must be designated for assignment and pass through outright waivers before he can be assigned to the Minors. See MLB’s option glossary and MLB’s outright glossary.
What outright waivers and player rights mean
Outright waivers give the other 29 MLB clubs the chance to claim the player. A claiming club assumes the remaining money owed under the contract and places him on its 40-man roster. Claiming priority is based on reverse winning percentage. If no club claims him and he clears outright waivers, his current club may assign him outright to the Minors.
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Not every player must accept an outright assignment. MLB’s glossary says a player with more than five years of Major League service time can 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. These are distinct rights: whether a player can refuse the assignment depends on his service time and outright history.
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A club with no available option for a player may DFA him to open a 40-man roster spot. During the resolution period, the club could trade him or place him on waivers. If he clears outright waivers and has no applicable right to reject the move, the club could assign him to the Minors. The DFA is the first step; the outright assignment is the later outcome.
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