NEW YORK — David Fletcher signed a five-year contract before the season two years ago. Last season, he was one of the faces of the franchise — literally, as he was among the six players whose image was plastered outside the main gate at Angel Stadium.
But 12 games into this season, Fletcher was optioned and subsequently outrighted off the 40-man roster. Not gone from the organization, but not a part of the immediate plans. His play has diminished, and with it his playing time.
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Fletcher was notified that he was optioned and outrighted at the same time. And once the move was made to option him, taking him off the 40-man wasn’t exactly surprising. Fletcher is set to make $6 million this year, a contract that means no team would put in a waiver claim. The decision gives the Angels roster flexibility. They currently have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
The Angels took the aggressive approach of calling up 2022 second-round pick Zach Neto on Saturday to give them a true shortstop and some everyday stability in an otherwise roving infield.
For now, it means that Fletcher’s role with the Angels is at Triple A and his future is unclear. The Angels will need to see improvement and consistently strong offense for him to get back in the mix.
“He’s a big part of what we’ve done and what we think we’re going to do in the future,” manager Phil Nevin said. “He’s been a great Angel. He’s just got to get out there and play. Get back to what Fletch was. I realize that comes with consistent at-bats.”
Fletcher is never going to be a power hitter. He hasn’t had what StatCast registers as a “barrel” in years. But the issue was that he no longer did the things he was good at during his strong 2019-20 seasons. Fletcher’s chase rate has gone way up in recent years. He swung at pitches out of the zone 22.5 percent of the time in 2019, then 26 percent the year after. It went up to 29.2 percent in 2021 then 32.5 percent last year.
He’s a good bad-ball hitter, there’s no doubt. The charm of Fletcher’s offense is that he can chase but still make contact. His zone contact and chase contact rates, however, both declined. And his first pitch swing percentage went up from 8.3 percent in 2019 to 27.8 percent in 2021.
Injuries haven’t helped. He missed nearly three months in 2022 after undergoing adductor surgery. It goes beyond that. It’s his swing choices — a massive part of his game given that he won’t hit for power.
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“Sometimes it’s just being on the field and playing,” Angels GM Perry Minasian said when asked what Fletcher needs to do. “I think we all know and have seen what he’s capable of. And I expect him to get back to that. Doing that off the bench is tough.”
Fletcher was 2-for-16 before his demotion. He started just four games. The Angels hope this move serves as something of a wake-up call. But more importantly, it’s a chance for him to play every day and get back to being the hitter who had an .801 OPS in 2020. The player in whom they invested $26 million.
The Angels are still set to pay him $20 million over the next three years. It would be a colossally expensive decision to give up on a player they very recently viewed as a franchise cornerstone.
“We still believe in David Fletcher,” Minasian said. “Him being here and not getting everyday at-bats is not necessarily the best thing for him. So he’ll go play, and I expect him to be back and help this team, sooner than later.”
That’s the Angels’ philosophy for now. But it is fair to wonder how and when that will happen. The Angels built a competent infield with players who can hit. They brought up a shortstop in Neto that they hope to never send down.
Fletcher will be available if there’s an injury. He’ll be back if needed. But taking someone off the 40-man roster is not insignificant. It represents a change in how they view Fletcher, whether or not they’ll say so publicly. And it shows he’s got a ways to go to earn his role back.
Angels extras
• Jared Walsh is back in California as he returns from headaches and insomnia. He’s doing better and no longer getting treatment in Utah. He’s not fully cured, but he’s getting back in baseball shape. There is no timeline for his return.
• Minasian said that Angels catcher Max Stassi (hip, family matter) was doing better and improving. There is no timetable for his return.
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• Luis Rengifo missed two signs over the weekend in the Angels’ losses to the Red Sox on Friday and Sunday. Rengifo said on Tuesday he needs to fix something on those plays but that he feels comfortable with his understanding of the signs. “No, I don’t need to improve on anything about signs,” he said
(Photo of Fletcher: Stan Szeto / USA Today)
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