In baseball, DFA stands for "Designated for Assignment." It means a player is immediately removed from his team's 40-man roster. After being designated for assignment, the team has seven days to decide the player's fate: they can trade him, release him, place him on waivers, or outright him to the minor leagues if he clears waivers. Players with certain service time can refuse minors assignment and choose free agency instead. Essentially, DFA is a roster management move that temporarily removes a player from the 40-man roster while the team determines his next step.