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The Braves have the catch Max Stassi and the infielder David Fletcher from the Angels for the minor league first baseman Evan White and help Tyler Thomasreports Jeff Passan of ESPN (X link). Atlanta has six spots on the 40-man roster, so they don’t need to make any other roster adjustments.
It’s an odd trade for the Braves, no help needed. Atlanta already Sean Murphy to be their starting point and re-sign Travis d’Arnaud in an $8MM deal that serves as a record. Stassi gives them a third experience, which is very expensive on the menu. Since they don’t seem to want to take all three – none can be sent to the minor leagues – Passan suggested they could look to turn Stassi again during the season.
Atlanta has already released three of the players they acquired in subsequent trades. Right hand Jackson Kowarplus the Royals for Kyle Wrightwent to the Mariners in the trade that brought him in Jarred Kelenic. As part of the Kelenic deal, the Braves agreed to take a sub-contract salary for the lefty. Marco Gonzales and White. Gonzales was dealt to the Pirates for a short return on Tuesday, while White was waived in this trade with the Angels.
Now they can try to move Stassi, who is under contract for $7MM next season. He also confirmed a $500K buyout on top of the $7.5MM team option for the 2025 campaign. The Halos signed him to an extension on the heels of a combined .250/.333/.452 showing in 2020-21. That contract did not work out as the organization had envisioned. Stassi hit a .180/.267/.303 line over a career-high 375 plate appearances in 2022.
The 32-year-old has yet to appear in 2023. Stassi started the season on the injury list with a sore left. While recovering from a midseason hip injury, he took a break from the team to attend to a family matter. After the season, Stassi and his wife Gabrielle show their son was born three months premature in mid-April and spent the past few months in the NICU. In November, Angels GM Perry Minasian told reporters that Stassi plans to play through 2024 ( link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register).
In the last month of the season, the Angels placed Stassi on the restricted list. That ensured he would not be paid for the last few weeks as part of the organization’s last successful attempt to limbo under the expensive tax line. There is no public information that affected the relationship of the franchise with Stassi, but he also seemed to be an unpredictable part of the list. Logan O’Hoppe has emerged as the top choice behind the plate and Matt Thaiss support him.
Fletcher also signed an unused extension. The glove-first infielder signed a $26MM contract in April 2021. At this point, the Angels saw him as a long-term starter at second base thanks to a strong showing in the shortened 2020 season. This appears to be a mistake, as Fletcher’s offense has disappeared in the three years since. Back at the start of the ’21 campaign, he was a .259/.296/.327 hitter.
The Angels have hit Fletcher twice this year. He played in just 33 MLB games while participating in 85 contests at Triple-A Salt Lake. Fletcher made plenty of contact and little impact at the top of the minor leagues, hitting .330/.382/.428 with a microscopic 6.3% Free print on 380 display plates.
Fletcher will make $6MM next season, $6.5MM guaranteed in 2025 and will take home at least $1.5MM in buyouts on the “26 club option. Best That’s on top of what he would have earned as a free agent this season. He’s a plus defender at each of the second, shortstop and third positions. For the Braves, he will be useful in the backfield Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia and Austin Riley. A role played by Nicky Lopez in the second half of last season, but Atlanta wrapped him in the Aaron Bummer trade with the White Sox.
It’s a financial move for the Angels, who are also clearing two spots on their 40-man roster. White was a top prospect during his time with the Mariners. Seattle signed him to an extension before his MLB debut. That didn’t work out, as the righty hit the bottom man with a .165/.235/.308 line in 84 big league games between 2020-21. White has been out of the majors for two years and has barely played in Triple-A due to multiple injuries, including multiple surgeries on his left hip.
Atlanta White passed through undisclosed suspensions yesterday. The Angels will pick up the remainder of his contract: $7MM next season, $8MM in 2025 and a $2MM buyout on the ’26 club option. He will likely start next season in Salt Lake.
Thomas is a left-handed pitcher who turns 28 in a few weeks. The Braves just selected him in the minor league section of the rule 5 draft this week. The Fresno State product appeared in parts of six junior seasons. He has a 4.30 over 130 2/3 career ERA in Double-A with little experience at the Triple-A level.
More to come.