New Ulm Sports Central - Preserving and Sharing New Ulm Area Sports History

Websites for Los Angeles Dodgers and AAA Albuquerque Wednesday reported that New Ulm's Jamie Hoffmann had been designated for assignment. The Dodgers recalled another outfielder from Hoffmann's team as a "defensive replacement" and two days ago added Jim Thome of the White Sox as a pinch hitter in the club's pennant run. Apparently this move means Hoffmann is removed from the Dodger's 40-man roster according to a description in baseball's terminology.
The description indicates:
"A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the 40-man roster. This gives the team time to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another transaction, if needed. Once a player is designated for assignment, the team has ten days to do one of the following things: the player can be traded, the player can be released, or the player can be put on waivers and, provided he clears, outrighted to the minors. A player who is outrighted to the minors is removed from the 40-man roster but is still paid according to the terms of his guaranteed contract. A player can only be outrighted once in his career without his consent." Description above as per Google research of term.
Designated for assignment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another transaction, if needed. After designating a player for assignment, the club must make one of the following contractual moves:

* Place the player on waivers (which can only be done within the first 7 days of the 10-day period)
* Trade the player
* Release the player

Place the player on waivers

Typically a player is placed on waivers after being designated for assignment for the purpose of outrighting him to one of the club's minor league teams. A player who is outrighted to the minors is removed from the 40-man roster but is still paid according to the terms of his guaranteed contract. A player can only be outrighted once in his career without his consent. However, a player must clear waivers (that is, no other team may place a waiver claim on the player) to be sent to a minor league team. Also, if the player has five or more full years of major league service, he must give consent to be assigned to the minors. If the player withholds consent, the team must either release him or keep him on the major league roster. In either case, the player must continue to be paid under the terms of his contract.

Trade the player

Once a player is designated for assignment, he may be traded. Some teams have been known to designate players for assignment to increase interest in the player, especially among teams that are not at the top of the list for waivers. For example, in May 2006, Rangers reliever Brian Shouse was designated for assignment, and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers four days later. The Brewers could have waited until Shouse was placed on waivers so they would not have had to give up a player in a trade, but according to the waiver rules, the other 13 AL teams would have preference in claiming him. Also, under the "five and ten rule," if a player has ten years of Major League service, the last five with his current team, he cannot be traded without his consent.

Release the player

If a player is not traded, and clears waivers, he may be released from the team. The player is then a free agent and may sign with any team, including the team that just released him. The team that releases him is responsible for the salary the player is owed, less what he is paid by the team that signs him. In practice, that amount is usually a pro-rated portion of the Major League minimum salary.