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Sep 5, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Dominic Fletcher (5) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Outfielder's Free Agency Decision Makes D-backs Trade Look Better

Originally posted on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI
By Alex D'Agostino | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 5:24 PM ET

According to his transaction logs, former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Dominic Fletcher has officially elected free agency, just two days after being outrighted to Triple-A by the Chicago White Sox.

Fletcher was traded from the D-backs to Chicago in February of 2024 after showing promise in his early MLB action with Arizona. Heading to the D-backs' organization in the deal was right-handed pitching prospect Cristian Mena.

But as Fletcher now appears set to depart the White Sox organization, a look back on that trade makes Arizona's end of the deal look significantly more beneficial in the long run.

Though Mena has thrown just 9.2 major league innings — and spent most of 2025 injured — the right-hander is still only 22 years old, and showed plenty of promise in that limited major league action.

Whereas Fletcher's tenure with the White Sox appears to be over, Mena is under club control for many seasons to come. He has yet to enter arbitration, and is still considered a prospect, despite reaching the majors in both 2024 and 2025.

Former Diamondback Dominic Fletcher Elects Free Agency

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Fletcher's major league career began with a bang. Upon his call-up to the D-backs' MLB squad in the 2023 season, the diminutive lefty-hitting outfielder took the majors by storm, immediately making an impact, both at the plate and defensively.

For a period of time, Fletcher simply could not miss. Although the sample size was incredibly small, Fletcher hit to an unbelievable .462/.488/.744 slash over his first 12 major league games.

He racked up 18 base hits in that stretch, including three doubles and his first two big league homers.

After that point, he entered a slump, and was sent back to Triple-A Reno, where he would spend the remainder of 2023 in an up-and-down pattern, eventually landing on the minor league IL.

But Arizona was then faced with a roster crunch. With a plethora of young, speedy, left-handed outfielder available, Fletcher was logjammed out of taking on a more primary role.

That led the D-backs to shop some of their outfield options in the offseason following 2023. Though Arizona also offered Jake McCarthy, Chicago was adamant about Fletcher. McCarthy went on to hit .285 for the D-backs in 2024.

Fletcher, meanwhile, did not pan out to much success for the White Sox. He hit just .206 and .219 in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

He only appeared in 12 games in 2025, after he was designated for assignment on March 27, but cleared waivers and returned to Chicago. Now, however, his time on the Southside appears to be truly over.

Diamondbacks' Cristian Mena Has High Ceiling

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Mena has not had a chance to prove himself, but in his limited MLB appearances, he's shown promise.

The 22-year-old held a potent Los Angeles Dodgers lineup scoreless over 3.2 innings of long relief in his first MLB appearance of 2025, then pitched two scoreless frames against the Nationals his next time out.

Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder in an infamous, rain-soaked game against the Cincinnati Reds — a game that saw both Mena and catcher Gabriel Moreno suffer significant injuries.

Mena is currently Arizona's No. 11 prospect, and its No. 4 pitching prospect. Even though the returns have not been exceptional thus far, the D-backs' decision to trade Fletcher at the very least provided more potential long-term value for Arizona than for Chicago.

Check out D-backs On SI's offseason mailbag: Answering Your Burning D-backs Questions