Perry Minasian watched a lot of film of his new team when he was hired as Angels general manager this offseason.
Of Mike Trout’s explosive swing. Of Anthony Rendon’s towering home runs. Of Shohei Ohtani’s natural opposite field power.
But Minasian found David Fletcher as intriguing as anyone. What the infielder lacked in power, he made for in contact and consistency. His defensive highlights had already become iconic around Angel Stadium. And Minasian soon learned Fletcher’s earnest disposition was equally admired in the clubhouse.
So, even though Fletcher wasn’t eligible for arbitration until next offseason, and wasn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after 2024, Minasian made it a priority to lock him up anyway.