Sometimes, an MLB team will let a player go with the hope that there may be some kind of reunion in the future. That has turned out to be the case for the Cleveland Guardians and utilityman Jose Tena.
The Guardians traded Tena to the Washington Nationals in exchange for outfielder Lane Thomas in July 2024. Washington designated Tena for assignment this week, and Cleveland acted quickly to claim him off waivers.
According to insider Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, this recent roster move could signal something bigger, as the Guardians are now overloaded with similar players, including Angel Genao and Milan Tolentino.
“Bringing back Tena is an interesting move because the Guards already have utility men in Genao, Tolentino, David Fry and Daniel Schneemann. Tena is out of options so he’s either a placeholder or there are other moves coming,” Hoynes wrote.
Tena signed with the Cleveland organization as an international free agent in 2017. He worked his way up through its system and made his MLB debut in August 2023.
He appeared in 23 games over two seasons, with seven hits in 35 at-bats. In the field, he was used at second base, shortstop, and third base.
Tena was primarily a third baseman in his first two seasons with Washington, before playing second base and corner outfield last season. In 205 games with the Nationals, including 114 in 2026, the 25-year-old had a slash line of .242/.306/.364 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs.
According to MLB.com, from 2025 to 2026, Tena’s average bat speed increased from 70.7 mph to 73.9 mph, and his hard-hit rate rose from 40.5 percent to 46.4 percent. That means he could have a higher ceiling than some of the other players mentioned by Hoynes.
Genao made his MLB debut this season, and the 22-year-old was notably used as a defensive replacement for Travis Bazzana at second base during the playoffs. Tolentino just completed his second season at Triple-A, where he also played around the infield.
Among the veterans, Fry could have value as a backup catcher if Austin Hedges leaves as a free agent. Schneemann has played every position except catcher and first base for Cleveland in each of his three seasons.
It never hurts to have as many good players as possible, but with Tena out of minor league options, the Guardians will have some roster decisions to make if they intend to keep him around next season.
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