Atlanta Braves – Shopping at the DFA
By Fred Owens
Jul 11, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third basemen
Danny Valencia(23) hits a three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Every day it seems players are Designated For Assignment (DFA). Most of the time the players are not performing well but some of them are DFA simply because there’s no room at the inn. The latter group provide an opportunity for a team like the Braves to pickup some useful pieces.
The DFA Rules
(This part is an explanation of DFA. If you know all about it and this would bore you skip to the next page).
A team DFA’s a player to give themselves options and time. Usually this is done to clear a spot on the 40 man roster for a recently acquired or promoted player. The team can fill the slot immediately and still have a ten day window to maneuver without committing to one of the following courses of action.
- Trade the player
- Release the player
- Place the player on irrevocable waivers in order to 0utright the player to the minors
- Return the player to the 40-man roster
The ten day window does however have one mandatory suspense date built in, the player must be placed on waivers within seven days if they intend to send hum to the minors.
Most teams will try to trade the player before putting him on waivers. Once a player is placed on waivers he becomes available to the other 29 teams, first in his league with the team having the worst record getting priority. If the player goes unclaimed, he then becomes available to the teams in the other league starting once again with the team having the worst record in that league.
- If the player is claimed, the claiming team pays $20,000 for him and the league minimum salary for the rest of the season with his original team paying the rest.
- If the player clears waivers without being claimed the club may assign him outright to the minor leagues, though he must continue to be paid according to the terms of his contract.
If the player has previously been outrighted to the minors he may either:
- Reject the assignment and become a free agent, or
- Accept the assignment and become a free agent at the end of the season if he’s not back on the 40-man roster.
Players with three (3) years of major league service may refuse an outright assignment and choose to become a free agent, regardless of whether or not they have been outrighted previously.
A player with five (5) years of major league service time who refuses an outright assignment is entitled to the money due according to the terms of his contract.
Clear as mud? Okay them we can move on.