The Cleveland Guardians have acquired José Tena, according to the official MLB transaction log, with the club claiming the designated hitter and infielder off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
The transaction returns a player the Guardians originally developed to an organization that already holds a crowded 40-man roster, now listed at 37 players as the club prepares for the November 17 deadline ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.
Tena, 25, first joined the Guardians as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017.
He made his major-league debut in Cleveland on August 5, 2023, and appeared in 21 games across parts of two seasons before the Guardians included him, along with pitchers Alex Clemmey and Rafael Ramírez Jr., in the July 29, 2024, deadline deal that brought outfielder Lane Thomas to Cleveland.
With the Nationals, Tena logged 205 games from 2024 through 2026 and posted a .242/.306/.364 slash line.
In 2026, he appeared in a career-high 115 games, batting .222/.302/.370 with seven home runs, 13 doubles, and 25 RBI in 288 plate appearances while striking out 90 times.
The Nationals designated Tena for assignment earlier in the week, clearing a roster spot as players on the 60-day injured list were activated.
Tena is out of minor-league options, meaning the Guardians cannot send him to the minors without first placing him on waivers.
If he clears, he could be outrighted to Triple-A Columbus as a depth piece; otherwise he must either make the Opening Day roster or be designated for assignment again.
Once regarded as a top prospect in Cleveland’s system, he offers left-handed hitting and defensive flexibility.
He has appeared at every position except catcher, first base, and center field, with the bulk of his time at third base, designated hitter, and second base.
Surface results have been modest—his career line sits around .240/.303/.358 across roughly 659 plate appearances—but underlying indicators improved in 2026.
Average bat speed rose from 70.7 mph to 73.9 mph, and his hard-hit rate climbed from 40.5 percent to 46.4 percent.
For a Guardians club that values inexpensive depth and roster flexibility, the waiver claim reintroduces a familiar name at minimal cost while the front office continues to shape the roster for 2027.
Whether Tena carves out a bench role behind José Ramírez, Travis Bazzana, and others or simply serves as temporary depth will depend on how the rest of the offseason unfolds.
