Diamondbacks Trade Dominic Fletcher For Young Pitcher
The Diamondbacks traded left-handed hitting outfielder Dominic Fletcher to the Chicago White Sox, in exchange for right-handed starter Cristian Mena, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Mena, 21, spent most of 2023 in Double-A, although he did pitch 19 2/3 innings in Triple-A. He pitched to a 4.66 ERA in 26 Double-A starts, with a 1.37 WHIP. After his graduation to AAA, he posted a 5.95 ERA, but his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) was a mere 3.73.
Mena posted above a 9.00 K/9 at both levels in 2023, but did walk batters north of four times per nine innings. He will likely serve as simply minor league pitching depth, and will be unlikely to see the majors anytime soon.
He was, however, listed as Chicago's #9 prospect on FanGraphs and #10 on MLB, and has solid potential to become a strikeout-heavy pitcher, although a transition to a very hitter-friendly D-backs farm system could prove to be a challenge for the young arm.
He sports lower-90s velocity, with a four pitch arsenal, consisting of a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His curveball profiles as his best pitch, and he has solid command upside, although he did have issues with walks in 2023.
Fletcher, 26, spent a stretch dominating at the major league level, before cooling off considerably. He finished his short MLB stint with a .301/.350/.441 slash and .791 OPS, but his 22/7 K/BB became an issue. In the minors, he's produced a career .295/.366/.474/.840 slash.
With a logjam of left-handed outfielders on both the major league roster and in the farm system, Fletcher would have struggled to see playing time with the D-backs, and will become needed depth for the White Sox bare bones outfield.
The D-backs add pitching depth with some upside to their farm system, and clear a spot on both their 40-man roster and their crowded outfield.
