Fletcher, Angels agree to five-year, $26M deal

ANAHEIM, Calif. — David Fletcher agreed to a five-year, $26 million contract with the Angels on Thursday, capping his rise from an unheralded infield prospect to a key figure in Los Angeles’ future.

The Angels announced the deal with their homegrown talent before taking the field for their season opener against the Chicago White Sox with Fletcher batting leadoff and playing second base.

Fletcher, who would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time after this season, agreed to a new deal that stretches through his arbitration years and across his first two potential seasons of free agency. The contract could be worth up to $41 million because it includes two club options worth $8 million in 2026 and $8.5 million in 2027.

“It’s exciting to me to know I’m going to be playing at home for a while now,” Fletcher said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Ideally, if it was up to me, I’d play here my whole career, and I have a lot of work to do to make that happen, but I’m excited.”

Fletcher is a former sixth-round pick who was born and raised in Orange County before playing at Loyola Marymount. Once considered a fringe major league prospect, he has relentlessly played his way into a starting job at second base and an important role in the Angels’ lineup since his debut in 2018.

The deal is a sign of new Angels General Manager Perry Minasian’s belief in Fletcher, who became just the fifth player with a financial commitment from the team beyond the current season. Only Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Fletcher are signed beyond 2022.

“The guy is from the area, and he’s what we want to be about,” Minasian said. “Before I took this job, I watched a lot of video, and obviously there’s some big-name guys on this team, and the guy that stood out over and over again was Fletch.”

Fletcher is a career .292 hitter with 10 home runs and 92 RBI in his three big league seasons, frequently serving as the Angels’ leadoff hitter in that stretch.