Angels trade Fletcher to Braves, Atlanta flips Stassi to White Sox

The Los Angeles Angels traded infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi to the Atlanta Braves for first baseman Evan White and left-hander Tyler Thomas, the teams announced Friday.

The Braves then traded Stassi and cash considerations to the Chicago White Sox for a player to be named later, the clubs announced Saturday.

Fletcher's struggled over the last three seasons after posting an .801 OPS in 49 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The 29-year-old hit .247/.302/.326 with two home runs in 33 games last season while seeing time at shortstop, second base, and third base. He's owed $6 million in 2024 and $6.5 million in 2025. He has team options in both 2026 and 2027.

Stassi has 10 years of MLB experience. He missed all of last season due to a hip strain and a family medical issue, but Angels GM Perry Minasian said earlier in the offseason that Stassi is expected to play in 2024. Stassi hit .180/.267/.303 with nine home runs in 102 games in 2022. The 32-year-old is owed $7 million in 2024 with a $7.5-million team option in 2025.

White's time with the Braves was brief. The 27-year-old was acquired as part of the package that included Jarred Kelenic and Marco Gonzales, the latter of whom was already flipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates. White won a Gold Glove in 2020 but has struggled to hit and hasn't played in the majors since 2021. He signed a six-year contract in 2019 that guaranteed him $24 million before making his MLB debut. White's hit .165/.235/.308 with 10 home runs in 84 MLB games.

Thomas posted a 0.79 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings last season in Double-A. The 27-year-old was selected by the Braves from the New York Mets in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.