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The Los Angeles Angels continued their aggressive move-making early in free agency, agreeing to a two-year, $12 million contract with catcher Travis d'Arnaud, it was announced Tuesday. The Atlanta Braves declined to pick up a one-year, $8 million option on d'Arnaud last week, and the Angels struck with a multiyear offer for the veteran catcher, who will be 36 on Opening Day. In a market thin on catching, d'Arnaud was one of the best players available at the position. He'll serve as the backup to Logan O'Hoppe, the 24-year-old who hit 20 home runs and looks like a foundational player for Los Angeles going forward. The Angels already have added two other veterans to a team that went 63-99 this year, trading for designated hitter Jorge Soler and giving right-handed starter Kyle Hendricks a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Adding d'Arnaud, who hit .238/.302/.436 with 15 home runs in 341 plate appearances, helps fortify a roster that lacked depth last year and adds to a payroll approaching $170 million. Much of it is dominated by outfielder Mike Trout and third baseman Anthony Rendon, who will make a combined $75 million this year. "Travis just really stuck out for us -- someone that can not only play at a high level, but the makeup is off the charts," Angels general manager Perry Minasian said on a videoconference. "He's a winner. He's played on a ton of winning teams. He knows what winning teams do. He's got the ability to affect the locker room in as positive of a way as anybody I've ever been around. He's great with young pitching. He's great with coaching staffs. He's great with managers. He's just an awesome guy. Hometown guy who lives 25 minutes away and really wanted to be here. "I think it's going to be great for a guy like Logan, who's coming into his own, to have somebody with him as part of that tandem. To have somebody with him like a Travis d'Arnaud, that will really help his career moving forward." The Angels' attempt to compete in 2025 is closely aligned with the strong likelihood that they'll be ineligible for a top-10 pick in the 2026 draft. If Los Angeles receives a pick in the top six during the 2025 draft lottery -- almost a certainty -- the Angels will be ineligible to do the same in 2026 because of anti-tanking rules in the collective bargaining agreement. With the incentive to lose not strong, the Angels are trying to build around Trout and a cadre of young players: 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 figure into the Angels' hopes of winning next year. A 12-year veteran, d'Arnaud spent the past five years with the Braves. Over 884 games in his career, he has hit .248/.309/.426 with 123 home 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 career. Ron Washington, the Angels' manager, was a coach on the Braves' staff when d'Arnaud was there -- including their World Series-winning 2021 team. d'Arnaud's presence clearly means Matt Thaiss, the 2016 first-round pick who came up as a catcher and transitioned to the corner infield only to return to catcher and serve as the Angels' backup these last two years, no longer has a clear place on the roster. Minasian was noncommittal on eventually trading him. Angels pitchers had the second-highest walk rate in the majors last year, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox. Minasian believes d'Arnaud, who has graded out as an above-average pitch-framer and has been lauded for how he works with staff members to game plan, will help in that area. "For me, the catching position is so important for a club," said Minasian, who was with the Braves' front office when d'Arnaud arrived in Atlanta in 2020. "And to have two players of this caliber on the same team -- and to feel like we'll be able to put a catcher on the field every day that's going to give us a chance to win every single day -- is huge." To make room for d'Arnaud on the roster, the Angels designated right-hander Guillo Zuniga for assignment. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.
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