A former Diamondbacks prospect has found a new home. The Bucco Bantr reports that outfielder Dominic Fletcher has agreed to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The deal includes an invite to big league Spring Training.
Fletcher, 28, was originally drafted by the Diamondbacks with the No. 75 selection of the 2019 MLB Draft. Arizona obtained the pick as part of the return for Paul Goldschmidt, along with right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly, and infielder Andrew Young.
Recapping Dominic Fletcher’s Tenure with the Arizona Diamondbacks
GettyDominic Fletcher doubles in his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks.
At the end of the 2022 season, Fletcher ranked as the D-backs’ No. 20 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He debuted with the D-backs the following April, following a minor injury to superstar outfielder Corbin Carroll.
Fletcher’s career in Arizona got off to a hot start. In his first 12 games, he went 18-for-39 at the plate with three doubles, a triple, and two home runs. As the D-backs’ outfield got healthier, he saw fewer opportunities. He played in just 15 more games, hitting .196 for the rest of the season.
In February 2024, the D-backs dealt Fletcher to the Chicago White Sox for pitching prospect Cristian Mena. Mena remains on Arizona’s roster and could see a bigger role in 2026 if he can stay healthy. He flashed some potential in 2025, pitching to a 1.35 ERA and eight strikeouts over 6.2 innings. A teres major strain suffered against the Reds on June 6th ended his season.
Arizona already had a full outfield after re-signing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to a three-year deal. With no room in the outfield for him, the organization flipped him for more starting pitching depth.
The White Sox had their choice of outfielders between Jake McCarthy and Dominic Fletcher. With the full six years of control and one more minor league option, Chicago chose the latter.
His Career Arc Since Leaving the Organization
GettyDominic Fletcher struggled to hit during his tenure with the White Sox.
Fletcher joined a rebuilding White Sox roster. He made Chicago’s 2024 Opening Day roster, but was optioned to Triple-A following a slow start to the season. In his first 20 games, he hit .203 with a .548 OPS.
The former D-backs prospect never found his footing after that. He played in 84 games with the White Sox, but struggled to a .208/.254/.282 slash over 255 plate appearances. He started losing playing time to Brooks Baldwin and Mike Tauchman.
Fletcher’s tenure in Chicago ended in October, electing free agency after being designated for assignment for the second time. He had been previously outrighted in March after failing to make the White Sox’s 2025 Opening Day roster.
Fletcher now gets a new slate with the Pirates, although he faces an uphill battle to make their roster. Roster Resource projects Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Jack Suwinski, and Jake Mangum to the starting lineup. Jhostynxon Garcia, who Pittsburgh acquired earlier in the offseason, is on the bench as the lone right-handed bat.
Without a clear path to the major league roster, Fletcher serves as Triple-A depth in case of injuries. In the event he’s added to the 40-man roster during the season, he still holds one minor league option. That gives the Pirates some roster flexibility in their outfield.
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