David

Fletcher

Fletcher, briefly a quality regular for the Angels at the end of the last decade, has played in just 38 major league games the last three years, and the long-term deal he got from the Halos ran out at the end of last season. After a one-year experiment with pitching, he returned to the infield and hit .185/.233/.258 in 83 games with the Braves’ Double- and Triple-A teams last season

Not exactly a stunner. A then-26-year-old Fletcher signed a five-year, $26 million deal with the Angels in 2021 and immediately declined. The Angels gave up on him two years later and then got the Braves to take him by accepting Evan White’s similarly ill-fated contract in return. He’s since been in the news twice, first for getting caught up in the Shohei Ohtani/Ippei Mizuhara betting scandal and then when he tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher (he wound up with a 6.39 ERA and a 42/44 K/BB in 100 innings between Double- and Triple-A). He resumed playing the infield last season, but he hit just .180/.213/.268 in 67 games for Gwinnett.

Fletcher, 30, tried to turn his career around by becoming a knuckleballer last year, but it didn’t take and he’s back as a position player this year. The Braves declined to invite him to major league spring training in the final year of his five-year, $26 million contract, and he opened up by going 2-for-22 at Double-A Columbus. A valuable infielder for the Angels from 2018-20, his career took a downturn in 2021, and he’s played in just 38 major league games since the beginning of 2023. He’s unlikely to add to that total anytime soon.

Yes, that David Fletcher. The former middle infielder is reinventing himself as a knuckleball pitcher in the Braves minor league system. All while making $6 million dollars this year. Fletcher’s first start was particularly impressive, especially against a loaded Baltimore Orioles Triple-A lineup. Fletcher struck out six batters, including Jackson Holliday, and walked just one. There is no way to know if the Braves will actually give Fletcher a chance to pitch at the big league level, but this is a fun experiment.

ESPN.com’s Tisha Thompson first reported on Friday night that Fletcher bet on sports, but not baseball, with the same California bookmaker — Mathew Bowyer — that took wagers from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. The 29-year-old infielder played for the Angels from 2018-2023 and could wind up facing league discipline. It’s legal for players to bet on sports other than baseball, but not with an illegal bookmaker.

Fletcher cleared waivers and will head back to the minors. One could speculate this means that Ozzie Albies may return to the lineup soon, which would be a boost for the Braves’ offense and fantasy managers that have him rostered.

Fletcher has been added to Atlanta’s infield mix with fantasy superstar Ozzie Albies landing on the 10-day injured list with a fractured toe. The 29-year-old infielder slashed .247/.302/.326 across 97 plate appearances with the Angels last season and was traded to the Braves in December. He won’t be able to replace Albies in fantasy lineups but he’ll be in a lineup filled with some of the best talent in baseball.

The move brings the Braves’ roster down to 28 players in spring camp. Two of those players are Penn Murfee and Angel Perdomo, who are expected to go on the 60-day IL so it appears Atlanta has it’s Opening Day roster ready to go. This also means that Forrest Wall will earn the 26th and final roster spot, if the team decides not to bring anyone else in. Wall made the postseason roster last season and after putting together a solid camp with a .971 OPS and 10 RBI across 33 plate appearances, he will be rewarded to start the 2024 season.

Just like the Angels did last year, the Braves bumped Fletcher from their 40-man, knowing that no one would claim him and that there’s no chance that he’d opt out of his contract to become a free agent (he’s owed $14 million for the next two years). He’s still the favorite to serve as the team’s primary infield reserve next year.

Once considered a piece of the Angels’ core, Fletcher has fallen on hard times in recent years. The 29-year-old infielder saw just 97 plate appearances at the big league level in 2023 — hitting .247/.302/.326 with a pair of long balls and 12 RBI. He should have a shot at landing a utility infield role with the Braves.