The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they had acquired infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for first baseman Evan White and left-handed reliever Tyler Thomas, continuing a money-juggling effort following a previous trade.
At the start of the winter meetings, Atlanta acquired outfielder Jarenic as well as two higher-paid players: White and pitcher Marco Gonzales. During the meetings, the Braves traded Gonzales and his $12 million salary to the Pirates, along with cash, for an unnamed player.
White, who is owed $17 million for the remaining two guaranteed seasons and the contract buyout, is the most recent to leave – and is unlikely to be the last. According to sources, Stassi will almost certainly be traded as well, as Atlanta already has two catchers (Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud) and Stassi is owed $7 million in 2024.
Fletcher, who is owed $12.5 million over the next two seasons, will almost certainly remain with the Braves as a utility player. The 29-year-old, who can play second base, shortstop, and third base, is a contact hitter who has struck out in less than 10% of his major league plate appearances. While he doesn’t have much power (16 home runs in 2,180 plate appearances), Fletcher’s versatility fills a void in Atlanta, which was looking for a utility player to replace Nicky Lopez, who was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of the Braves’ trade for Aaron Bummer.
Stassi, 32, missed the entire season last year to care for his son Jackson, who was born three months premature and weighing only 1.5 pounds. Stassi, who signed a three-year, $17.5 million contract extension after a 2021 breakout, is expected to return and could provide a viable trade option with the top available free agent catchers Gary Sanchez and Martin Maldonado.
White, 27, signed a six-year, $24 million contract with Seattle prior to his major league debut, and he won a Gold Glove at first base in his rookie season in 2020. Due to offensive struggles, White was demoted to Triple-A early in 2021, and he has yet to return to the major leagues.
Thomas, 27, will be joining his fifth organization after stints with the Chicago Cubs, Texas, the New York Mets, and Atlanta, which selected him in the Rule 5 draft during the meetings.
Thomas is 11-15 with a 3.66 ERA in 270.2 innings with 304 strikeouts, 106 walks, and only 24 home runs allowed in six seasons since being drafted by the Cubs out of Fresno State.
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