The Cleveland Guardians are continually looking for depth, and that applies to every unit on the roster: pitchers, outfielders, and infielders. They also look for cheap options, including, of course, waivers.
After the Washington Nationals designated infielder Jose Tena for assignment, the Guardians pounced and welcomed back their former prospect. They could use the depth, and the downside is minimal.
“The Guardians claimed infielder and old friend José Tena from the Nationals. They traded him to the Nationals in 2024 for Lane Thomas,” team insider Zack Meisel posted.
The Guardians claimed infielder and old friend José Tena from the Nationals. They traded him to the Nationals in 2024 for Lane Thomas.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) November 6, 2026
Tena was used as trade bait at the 2024 deadline to bring in Thomas, who ended up being a useful asset in the 2024 postseason but struggled as a Guardian in the 2024 and 2025 regular seasons, mainly due to injuries.
Tena’s first steps in the Guardians organization came in 2018, when he was 17 years old. He made his MLB debut in Cleveland in 2023 and was traded a year later. With Washington, he hit .222/.302/.370 in 115 games and 288 trips to the plate this year, with seven home runs, six stolen bases, and an 85 wRC+.
As a major leaguer, Tena boasts a .240/.303/.358 line with a well-below-average 83 wRC+ in 659 plate appearances, most of them with the Nationals. He is, however, versatile with a glove on his hand.
Tena can play second base, third base, shortstop, and even the outfield corners. He even pitched in one game this year with the Nationals, in mop-up duty.
The Guardians will see if they can get something more out of him offensively, as he was very promising as a prospect in the late 2010s and early 2020s. He actually peaked as the organization’s ninth-best prospect back in 2022 and was a recurrent top-30 guy for that 2020-2024 period.
Like just about every other player on the roster, Tena will have to win his spot on the roster with his play. His MLB performance to this point has been, for lack of a better word, underwhelming, but his versatility could prove to be an asset if he could get closer to league-average production at the plate.
For the cost of a waiver claim, it doesn’t hurt to find out.
NEXT: A Young Guardians Pitcher Is Already Nearing 100 MPH
