Atlanta Braves fans have likely forgotten about David Fletcher. He was acquired by the Braves in a trade with the Angels in December 2023. Atlanta sent Evan White and Tyler Thomas to Anaheim in exchange for Fletcher and Max Stassi.
Fletcher was pretty quickly passed through waivers after the trade. No teams were interested in picking him up, so he remained with Atlanta. He spent the majority of his time in the minor league system.
Then came the betting controversy surrounding Shohei Ohtani that Fletcher found himself tangled in. That surely didn't help his chances with the organization, which kept him in the minors. He appeared in five MLB games that April, but that's the last time he would see a big league diamond.
What was bizarre was that Fletcher, a scrappy career infielder, started on a strange path of being a pitcher not long after this all took place.In an effort to switch things up, he tried his hand at being a knuckleball pitcher.
He made 22 appearances in 2024 across two levels (Double-A/Triple-A) with a 6.39 ERA, 44 walks, and 42 strikeouts. He pitched only one inning during the 2025 season.
David Fletcher's retirement brings an end to his bizarre tenure with the Braves
Fletcher appeared in 83 games as an infielder with a .185 average, three HR, 10 doubles, and 20 RBI. That lackluster season has led to Fletcher announcing his retirement from Major League Baseball.
Former Angels infielder David Fletcher is hanging 'em up
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 11, 2025
He had been in the Braves system attempting to pivot to a career as a pitcher pic.twitter.com/IVmjgvijff
He spent seven years at the MLB level with a .276/.323/.358 career slash line, including 16 homers, 98 doubles, 170 RBI, and a .681 OPS. It wasn't the best career, but he had some impressive moments.
The Braves' decision to make him a pitcher was interesting, but it is no longer their problem. Atlanta declined his $8 million club option, and Fletcher initially elected for free agency. That has clearly changed, as he will now retire from baseball.
It's hard to imagine he had any teams excited about bringing him on board after a couple of years of mediocrity on both sides of the ball. His time with the Braves will be forgotten pretty quickly, but we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.