David Fletcher signs 5-year, $26 million contract extension with Angels

The Angels signed spark plug and leadoff man David Fletcher to a five-year, $26 million contract that would buy out at least one year of free agency and maybe more. The club announced the deal on Thursday.

Fletcher has two years, 111 days of major league service time and wouldn’t have been eligible for salary arbitration until 2022, and would have been a free agent after the 2024 campaign. But now with this new deal, Fletcher is signed through 2025 with club options that could take him through 2027.

“The talent is there, we know what kind of player he is on the field. But it’s the off the field that was really intriguing to me personally. I love what he’s all about,” general manager Perry Minasian said. “This is the DNA we want in this organization.”

Last year Fletcher hit .319/.376/.425, and saw ample time at third base filling in for Anthony Rendon, shortstop filling in for Andrelton Simmons, and second base. In 2019 his most common position was third base but he played all over the infield. This year, Fletcher is the everyday second baseman.

The Angels leadoff man since the start of the 2018 season has been the second-hardest player to strike out, at one whiff every 9.85 plate appearances, and Fletcher during that time owns the best contact rate (91.3 percent) in baseball.

Jeff Fletcher at the Orange County Register has the contract details:

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