Atlanta Braves send David Fletcher to AAA Gwinnett
Per multiple reports, the Atlanta Braves have outrighted infielder David Fletcher off the MLB roster and sent him to AAA Gwinnett.
The procedural move removes Fletcher from the 40-man roster, which now stands at 34 players.
All indications as of now are that Atlanta still expects the 29 year-old to serve as the backup infielder, but the move allows Atlanta more flexibility with acquiring players in either trades or free agency.
Fletcher, acquired late last week in a move to send 1B Evan White's salary to the Los Angeles Angels, will cost a combined $12.5M over the next two seasons plus a $1.5M 2026 buyout of the first of two club options.
(Were Atlanta to decide to keep him for his age 32 season, he'd cost $8M for 2026, with the second option coming in at $8.5M and holding the same $1.5M buyout figure).
Fletcher's last season as a full-time starter came in 2021, where he batted .262/.297/.324 over 157 games at both 2nd and 3rd. He played in only 61 major league games in 2022 amidst multiple injured list stretches for hand and hip injuries and just 33 in 2023, spending most of the season either behind prospect SS Zach Neto or in AAA Salt Lake.
The 40-man flexibility will be useful after the holidays, as many relievers and bench candidates are signed to fill out rosters as spring training approaches. Fletcher is the favorite for a veteran bench role in Atlanta, but the Braves could also send him to another team if there's interest and backfill their bench with a cheaper option.
Of additional note is that Fletcher, at 4 years and 168 days of service time, will accrue another year of service after four days on the major league roster in the 2024 season, allowing him the ability to not only reject an assignment to the minor leagues but become a free agent and retain his salary. It's common to see players moved just days before this happens, as that's how the Braves acquired Yonny Chirinos last season. Tampa Bay elected to remove him from the roster before he ticked into that fifth year of service and could elect free agency while retaining his $1.275M salary.
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