In the small amount of time that David Fletcher occupied 2B, one could tell he was a superior defender to both Ozzie Albies and Luis Guillorme. It’s not surprising considering he’s known for his glove and, outside of COVID ball, has never carried an OPS above .800 in his career. When Fletcher was called up to the bigs due to the Ozzie injury, he surpassed a milestone for his career: 5 years service time. That gives Fletcher the right to refuse an assignment to the minors. However, Fletcher was outrighted to AAA Gwinnett, not optioned. Normally, this means he has to pass through waivers, go unclaimed, and either choose to accept his assignment or become a free agent. However, and I’ve yet to see this information before, but apparently AA has a different arrangement with Fletcher:

It’s assumed by the experts that this was something the Angels negotiated in Fletcher’s contract, not the Braves and I can now see why the Braves would choose to trade for him as this essentially means he has unlimited options, which is a real luxury for the team considering he can play both middle infield positions really well.

Ozzie Albies is BACK

Breaks a toe and is out a week. What a world! And if you didn’t catch this, make sure to watch it in your spare time.