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Carlos D. Rodriguez

Braves Decline Option On David Fletcher, Outright Four Players

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TODAY: Payamps, Cox, Robinson, and Rodriguez all elected minor league free agency, as per the MILB.com official transactions page.

NOV. 6: The Braves have declined their $8MM club option on infielder David Fletcher, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The team also announced today that they have outrighted LHP Austin Cox, RHP Joel Payamps, catcher Chuckie Robinson, and outfielder Carlos Rodríguez to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Fletcher, 31, was acquired from the Angels in December 2023 alongside catcher Max Stassi in exchange for minor-league first baseman Evan White and reliever Tyler Thomas. That was a financially-motivated move. Fletcher and the Angels had signed an ill-fated extension in 2021. White had also signed an extension that didn’t pan out, with the Mariners, though that deal was flipped to Atlanta. The Fletcher/Stassi/White/Thomas swap allowed the Angels to clear up some short-term cash while Atlanta saved money in the long run. Atlanta passed Fletcher through waivers shortly after acquiring him. He was selected back to the roster in 2024 but outrighted again shortly thereafter.

Broadly speaking, Fletcher has been a poor hitter but a good defender. He has a career .276/.323/.358 batting line, which translates to an 86 wRC+. He was more passable from 2018 to 2020 but his bat has tailed off in recent seasons. Atlanta presumably never viewed him as much more than an emergency depth option. His connection to an illegal gambling ring presumably didn’t improve his status in any way. Naturally, the club has gone with the $1.5MM buyout instead of the $8MM option.

The other moves clear out some roster space ahead of upcoming offseason business. Payamps is the most experienced of the four names here. Atlanta claimed him off waivers late in the season. Payamps didn’t have a good season in the majors, posting a 6.84 earned run average. He was eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $3.4MM salary. Atlanta didn’t want to pay that. Since Payamps cleared waivers, it appears no other club wanted to pay it either. He has at least three years of service time and therefore has the right to elect free agency.

As a free agent, he should garner interest from clubs looking for a bounceback. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Payamps logged 129 2/3 innings in the big leagues with a 2.78 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate. His major league results backed up in 2025 but he still showed some potential in the minors. His 4.73 ERA in 26 2/3 Triple-A innings wasn’t impressive but his 27.3% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate were in line with his peak.

Cox, 29 in March, has thrown 57 big league innings between Kansas City and Atlanta. In that time, he has a 6.16 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 40.2% ground ball rate. He doesn’t have three years of service time or a previous career outright but should qualify for seven-year minor league free agency.

Robinson, 31 in December, is a longtime depth catcher. Atlanta claimed him off waivers late in the year while Sean Murphy was on the injured list. His defense is well regarded but he has a .131/.169/.192 batting line in his big league career. He has been outrighted previously in his career and therefore has the right to elect free agency.

Rodríguez, 25 in December, was signed by the Brewers a year ago. He had no major league experience but was coming off a good season in the Brewers’ system. He couldn’t keep it going in 2025, as he hit just .247/.317/.323 in Triple-A for a 76 wRC+. He doesn’t have three years of service or a previous career outright but should qualify for minor-league free agency.,

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images

Braves Sign Carlos D. Rodriguez To Non-Guaranteed Contract

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2:58 pm: The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli reports that 18 teams expressed interest in signing Rodriguez. That sheds light on why the Braves needed to offer him a 40-man spot to sweeten the deal.

1:17 pm: The Braves have signed outfielder Carlos D. Rodriguez to a non-guaranteed one-year contract, the team announced. While Rodriguez has yet to make his major league debut, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel notes that the deal gives him a spot on Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The Braves have an open 40-man spot, so no corresponding move will be required.

Financial terms of the deal have not yet been announced, but Rodriguez will presumably earn something close to the league minimum salary for the time he spends with the club. Since the contract is not guaranteed, the Braves would not have to continue paying his salary if they decided to cut him from the roster at any point.

Rodriguez, soon to be 24, elected minor league free agency earlier this month. He had been a member of the Brewers organization since he signed with the club as a 16-year-old international free agent in 2017. While never a top prospect (indeed, he was only the second-highest-ranked Carlos Rodriguez on most Brewers prospect lists for the past few years), he played well at Double-A last season, slashing .298/.376/.396 with a 132 wRC+. He stole 15 bases in 19 attempts and walked more often than he struck out. That’s some solid offensive production coming from a primary center fielder, even if most evaluators agree his defense is more good than great.

Then again, Rodriguez struggled after a midseason promotion to Triple-A. He continued to demonstrate excellent contract skills and plate discipline (13.3% walk rate, 8.6% strikeout rate), but he slashed a meager .245/.344/.309 with a 79 wRC+. His promising Double-A number might explain why the Braves were interested, but his poor Triple-A performance shows why the Brewers never added him to their own 40-man roster.

Slightly harder to understand is why the Braves gave Rodriguez a non-guaranteed major league contract instead of signing him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Rodriguez has no major league experience and struggled badly in a brief stint against Triple-A competition. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked him as the no. 34 prospect in Milwaukee’s system entering the 2024 season, describing him as a potential fifth outfielder. Keith Law of The Athletic left Rodriguez off his list of the Brewers’ top prospects this past season, while Baseball America has not included him since 2022.

It’s not as if the Braves are desperate for center fielders, either. Michael Harris II ended the 2024 season on a high note, and, barring injury, he’ll be starting in center field almost every day next season. Jarred Kelenic, Ramón Laureano, and Eli White can also play the position. Luke Williams gives the Braves a fifth healthy outfielder on the 40-man. Once Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to return, presumably not too long after Opening Day, that will make six outfielders with MLB experience on Atlanta’s 40-man roster.

Then again, perhaps the Braves are planning to non-tender Laureano or White today. They could also be looking ahead and preparing to DFA an outfielder during the regular season once Acuña needs a spot on the active roster. In that case, it’s easier to see why they’d appreciate having an optionable outfielder like Rodriguez. Of the current group, only Harris and Kelenic have minor league options remaining. That still doesn’t explain why the Braves didn’t just sign Rodriguez to a minor league deal, but it’s not as if this non-guaranteed arrangement is any riskier for the team. It seems like the Braves simply identified the player they liked and made the necessary offer to bring him aboard.

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