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Veteran catcher Travis D’Arnaud signs a $12 million, 2-year deal to join busy Angels

By Greg Beacham
Published  November 12, 2024 8:40pm EST
Atlanta Braves
Associated Press
article

Travis d'Arnaud #16 of Atlanta Braves prepares his gear before Game One of the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Oct. 1, 2024 in San Diego California. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Travis d'Arnaud has signed a $12 million, two-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, intended to be a veteran backup to catcher Logan O’Hoppe.
    • D’Arnaud, a Long Beach native, played the last five seasons with the Atlanta Braves, recently batting .238 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs.
    • The 24-year-old O’Hoppe had a batting average of .244 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs over 136 games last season. With d'Arnaud's inclusion, the team aims to give O'Hoppe more rest days, especially against left-handed pitchers.
    • Los Angeles Angels General Manager Perry Minasian praises d’Arnaud's team-oriented attributes and positive influence within the locker room, alongside his proximity to the area, living just 25 minutes away from the location.
    • The Angels have been active in the offseason, securing other players like Jorge Soler and Kyle Hendricks. Meanwhile, Minasian has also welcomed Sal Fasano as the assistant pitching coach.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Catcher Travis d’Arnaud has agreed to a $12 million, two-year contract to join the Los Angeles Angels as a veteran backup to Logan O’Hoppe.

The Angels announced the deal Tuesday, adding their third veteran already in the offseason.

D’Arnaud is a Long Beach native and a 12-year major league veteran who spent the past five seasons with Atlanta. He batted .238 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs over 99 games last season for the Braves, who gave him an $8 million salary this year and declined their $8 million option for 2025.

D’Arnaud will turn 36 before next season, and Angels general manager Perry Minasian envisions him as both a mentor and a backup to O’Hoppe, perhaps the most promising player in the young core of his rebuilding club.

The 24-year-old O’Hoppe played 136 games for Los Angeles last season, batting .244 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs. D’Arnaud should give more rest next season to O’Hoppe, particularly when the Angels face left-handed pitchers.

"Travis just stuck out for us as someone that could not only play at a high level, but for his makeup," Minasian said. "He’s been on winning teams. He knows what winning teams do. He’s got the ability to affect the locker room in as positive a way as anyone I’ve ever been around. He’s great with young pitching. He’s great with coaching staff. He’s great with manager. He’s just an awesome guy, and a hometown guy who lives 25 minutes away."

D’Arnaud gets $6 million annually in his new deal.

He won the World Series with the Braves in 2021 and made the All-Star team in 2022. He began his career with the New York Mets before making brief stops with the Dodgers and Tampa Bay in 2019.

D’Arnaud knows Ron Washington well from the Angels manager’s previous tenure as a Braves coach.

Los Angeles also acquired slugger Jorge Soler from Atlanta in a trade and signed veteran reliever Kyle Hendricks earlier in a busy offseason. Minasian worked for top Braves executive Alex Anthopoulos in Toronto and in Atlanta.

The Angels lost 99 games this year in the worst season in franchise history.

Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga was designated for assignment to make room. Minasian said the acquisition of d’Arnaud doesn’t necessarily mean the Halos will part with Matt Thaiss, a backup catcher who has also played other positions for the Angels, who drafted him in the first round in 2016.

Minasian also said Sal Fasano has joined the club as an assistant pitching coach. The veteran major league catcher — who played two games for the Anaheim Angels during their 2002 World Series championship season — spent the past eight years on the Braves’ coaching staff working with their catchers.

The Source: The Associated Press original report.

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