At this point in the year in the Majors, the 26-man and 40-man rosters are an ever-revolving door of veterans and prospects getting called up to the show.
For rookies, it's an opportunity to show the big league club that their development has paid off and that they can be part of their respective teams. Meanwhile, the veterans are doing whatever it takes to prove they deserve to remain on an MLB roster.
However, when a player from the minors gets called up, someone has to get sent down, or worse yet, designated for assignment. A former Detroit Tigers infielder went through this after playing in one game in the big leagues with his most recent team.
Ex-Tigers Infielder Sergio Alcantara Gets by DFA’d San Francisco Giants
Over the weekend, the San Francisco Giants announced that they designated infielder Sergio Alcantara for assignment.
#SFGiants roster moves:
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 5, 2025
• IF Matt Chapman returned from his rehab assignment and was reinstated from the 10-day IL
• RHP Tristan Beck recalled from Triple-A
• RHP Mason Black optioned to Triple-A postgame yesterday
• IF Sergio Alcántara designated for assignment
The former Tigers infielder only appeared in one game with the Giants, who needed some depth as they had multiple players on the injured list. Alcantara was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against the Athletics on July 4, and that's all San Francisco needed to file divorce papers.
With the Giants DFA'ing the 31-year-old veteran, they’ll have a week to trade or get him through waivers. If Alcantara makes it through waivers, he will have the choice to accept an outright assignment to the minors or head into free agency.
The veteran infielder joined the Giants on a minor league pact this offseason and has spent most of the season in the minor leagues. At Triple-A Sacramento, Alcantara hit .206 with 10 doubles and 14 RBI across 68 games.
The versatile infielder made his major league debut late in the 2020 season with the Tigers. Alcantara hit a mediocre .143 at the plate with a home run and an RBI in 10 games.
Detroit acquired Alcantara in 2017 from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the J.D. Martinez trade. After making his debut with the Tigers, Alcantara spent the next few years playing in the majors and minor leagues with various teams.
It's going to be interesting to see where the ex-Detroit infielder's career will take him next. As for the Tigers, a potential reunion shouldn't be in the cards.