What does 'DFA' mean in baseball? It's not an endearing abbreviation.
Albert Pujols. David Ortiz. Alex Rodriguez. Manny Ramirez. Nelson Cruz. Robinson Cano. Justin Upton.
Ortiz is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pujols is a lock for the Hall. Cruz is a future candidate for Cooperstown. And all were former major league All-Stars.
What do they all have in common?
Each of them have been DFA'd during their major league baseball career.
Ultimately, it means the player is cut from a team. It's one of several transactions that can happen to an MLB player. But it's a more common process for players who are in the latter years of their career and in the middle of a contract.
What does DFA mean in baseball?
Designated for assignment.
It's one of the more unique transaction types in baseball, where unlike being traded, the player is optioned to the minor leagues or simply cut from the roster.
What does being designated for assignment mean?
Teams are allowed to have 40 players on their roster, with 26 of them active on the major league roster. Over the course of the season, teams make roster moves, which sometimes involves cutting a player. In order to take someone off the 40-man roster, they must be designated for assignment.
MLB.com explains the process: "When a player's contract is designated for assignment — often abbreviated "DFA" — that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster. Within seven days of the transaction (had been 10 days under the 2012-16 Collective Bargaining Agreement), the player can either be traded or placed on irrevocable outright waivers."
Can another team claim a DFA'd player?
Yes, any team can pick up a player off waivers. However, if that team claims the player, they would have to add the player to their 40-man roster.
More baseball fun facts
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is 'DFA' in baseball? What to know about abbreviation's meaning.
