The Los Angeles Angels continued their aggressive move-making early in free company, agreeing to a two-year, $12 million contract with catcher Travis d’Arnaud, it was introduced Tuesday.
The Atlanta Braves declined to select up a one-year, $8 million choice on d’Arnaud final week, and the Angels struck with a multiyear supply for the veteran catcher, who will probably be 36 on Opening Day.
In a market skinny on catching, d’Arnaud was among the finest gamers accessible on the place. He’ll function the backup to Logan O’Hoppe, the 24-year-old who hit 20 dwelling runs and appears like a foundational participant for Los Angeles going ahead.
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The Angels have already got added two different veterans to a group that went 63-99 this 12 months, buying and selling for designated hitter Jorge Soler and giving right-handed starter Kyle Hendricks a one-year, $2.5 million deal.
Including d’Arnaud, who hit .238/.302/.436 with 15 dwelling runs in 341 plate appearances, helps fortify a roster that lacked depth final 12 months and provides to a payroll approaching $170 million. A lot of it’s dominated by outfielder Mike Trout and third baseman Anthony Rendon, who will make a mixed $75 million this 12 months.
“Travis simply actually caught out for us — somebody that may not solely play at a excessive stage, however the make-up is off the charts,” Angels common supervisor Perry Minasian stated on a videoconference. “He is a winner. He is performed on a ton of profitable groups. He is aware of what profitable groups do. He is bought the power to have an effect on the locker room in as constructive of a method as anyone I’ve ever been round. He is nice with younger pitching. He is nice with teaching staffs. He is nice with managers. He is simply an superior man. Hometown man who lives 25 minutes away and actually wished to be right here.
“I believe it should be nice for a man like Logan, who’s coming into his personal, to have someone with him as a part of that tandem. To have someone with him like a Travis d’Arnaud, that can actually assist his profession shifting ahead.”
The Angels’ try and compete in 2025 is carefully aligned with the robust probability that they will be ineligible for a top-10 decide within the 2026 draft. If Los Angeles receives a decide within the high six throughout the 2025 draft lottery — nearly a certainty — the Angels will probably be ineligible to do the identical in 2026 due to anti-tanking guidelines within the collective bargaining settlement.
With the motivation to lose not robust, the Angels are attempting to construct round Trout and a cadre of younger gamers: O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto, first baseman Nolan Schanuel and right-handed starter Jose Soriano. Infielder Luis Rengifo, outfielder Taylor Ward and left-handed starter Tyler Anderson determine into the Angels’ hopes of profitable subsequent 12 months.
A 12-year veteran, d’Arnaud spent the previous 5 years with the Braves. Over 884 video games in his profession, he has hit .248/.309/.426 with 123 dwelling runs and 438 RBIs with the Mets, Dodgers, Rays and Braves.
A Silver Slugger winner in 2020 and All-Star in 2022, d’Arnaud has caught 20.4% of baserunners in his profession.
Ron Washington, the Angels’ supervisor, was a coach on the Braves’ employees when d’Arnaud was there — together with their World Sequence-winning 2021 group.
d’Arnaud’s presence clearly means Matt Thaiss, the 2016 first-round decide who got here up as a catcher and transitioned to the nook infield solely to return to catcher and function the Angels’ backup these final two years, not has a transparent place on the roster.
Minasian was noncommittal on finally buying and selling him.
Angels pitchers had the second-highest stroll fee within the majors final 12 months, forward of solely the Chicago White Sox. Minasian believes d’Arnaud, who has graded out as an above-average pitch-framer and has been lauded for the way he works with employees members to recreation plan, will assist in that space.
“For me, the catching place is so vital for a membership,” stated Minasian, who was with the Braves’ entrance workplace when d’Arnaud arrived in Atlanta in 2020. “And to have two gamers of this caliber on the identical group — and to really feel like we’ll have the ability to put a catcher on the sector day-after-day that is going to offer us an opportunity to win each single day — is big.”
To make room for d’Arnaud on the roster, the Angels designated right-hander Guillo Zuniga for project.
ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.
