Dominic Fletcher is back on the open market after triggering the release clause in his minor league deal with the Pirates and getting his release, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
It’s the second time this season Fletcher and Pittsburgh have gone through this routine. He opened the year on a minor league contract with the club, was released in July, then quickly returned on a fresh deal. Now he’s out again and free to sign with any team.
The Pirates’ decision looks tied to a simple problem: Fletcher has produced, but there hasn’t been a clean path to the majors. In 237 Triple-A plate appearances this year, he has an 11% walk rate and a 14.3% strikeout rate, both strong marks.
He’s added eight home runs, a .301/.386/.485 slash line and a 130 wRC+, meaning he’s been 30% better than league average at the plate. He has also chipped in three stolen bases and has played all three outfield spots.
Even with Ryan O’Hearn on the injured list, Pittsburgh’s outfield picture is crowded. The group includes Oneil Cruz, Esmerlyn Valdéz, Bryan Reynolds and Jake Mangum. The Pirates also have Billy Cook on the bench and Jhostynxon García, Tyler Callihan and Ronny Simón on optional assignment.
Now Fletcher gets another shot to see whether another club can offer him a better route to playing time. The last time he tested the market, he wound up back with Pittsburgh.
This time, with the trade deadline already passed, he could draw interest from teams looking for outfield depth. If he lands somewhere, he still has one option year left.
In the majors, he has hit .233/.280/.325 with a 67 wRC+ across 377 plate appearances.
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