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SF Giants release former Mariners and Pirates reliever

The SF Giants have released former Pirates and Mariners southpaw Aaron Fletcher off the team's Triple-A roster in Sacramento.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants release former Mariners and Pirates reliever
SF Giants release former Mariners and Pirates reliever

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants have released left-handed reliever Aaron Fletcher from the organization, according to the minor league transaction page. Fletcher's release created a spot on the roster for left-handed pitcher Daniel Tillo, who had begun the season ramping up in Arizona.

Fletcher has had short big-league stints in each of the past three seasons but has surrendered eight earned runs on eight hits and seven walks in three innings pitched so far this season at Triple-A. Fletcher is the second reliever the Giants have released in the past week. Right-handed reliever Trevor Hildenberger was also released on Thursday.

Fletcher was drafted in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of the University of Houston by the Washington Nationals. While he debuted as a starter in the professional ranks, he was moved to the bullpen in his first full minor-league season. Fletcher quickly worked his way to the upper minors and caught the attention of Seattle Mariners scouts.

Fletcher was traded to the Mariners as part of a five-player deal at the 2019 deadline that included former Giants closer Hunter Strickland. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Fletcher made his big-league debut with the Mariners, appearing in six games. While he struck out seven batters in 4.1 innings pitched, he also surrendered six earned runs on seven hits and seven walks.

Given his struggles in his first taste of the majors, Fletcher spent the bulk of 2021 back in the minors at Triple-A. He once again struggled across four big-league appearances, but Fletcher posted a 3.47 ERA at Triple-A with 45 strikeouts and 14 walks in 49.1 innings pitched.

The Mariners designated Fletcher for assignment prior to the 2022 season, and the lefty was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fletcher posted an excellent 1.45 ERA with the Pirates Triple-A affiliate and was called up to their major-league pen. However, he continued struggling against MLB hitters, appeared in nine games, and recorded a 6.94 ERA before he was designated for assignment.

The SF Giants claimed Fletcher off waivers and quickly optioned him to Triple-A, but he was unable to replicate his previous levels of minor-league success. San Francisco eventually designated the southpaw for assignment and kept him in the organization once he cleared waivers. Now, Aaron Fletcher will look to catch on with another organization.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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