The Angels have signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year contract. That agreement reportedly includes a $12 million guarantee for the Wasserman client. Guillo Zuñiga, a right-hander, has been designated for assignment. The Halos have also signed Sal Fasano, who was Atlanta’s catching coach before being sacked last month, as an assistant pitching coach.
d’Arnaud, who turns 36 in February, has been with Atlanta for some years. However, the team declined a $8 million club option to keep him for 2025, sending him to the open market last week. The veteran has rapidly gotten back on his feet with a new contract that has a slightly lower average annual value but includes an additional guaranteed season.
His stint with Atlanta has seen a number of transactions, each with an AAV of $8MM. He signed a two-year, $16 million contract in 2020, which was extended for another two years in late 2021. Midway through 2023, he and the club agreed on a one-year, $8 million deal for 2024, with a $8 million club option for 2025.
During that period, he missed some time due to injury, and his offense has been inconsistent, but it has generally resulted in excellent performance. During his five years with the team, he appeared in 384 games, hitting 60 home runs and slashing.251/.312/.443 for a 106 wRC+. His defense was widely considered positively, allowing him to contribute 9.3 wins above replacement over that time, according to FanGraphs.
Despite his competent performance, Atlanta chose to move on. Perhaps this was owing to budgetary restrictions or the arrival of prospect Drake Baldwin, who is pounding on the door. Regardless, that club’s catching tandem is changing. It has been d’Arnaud and Sean Murphy in previous years, but Murphy will require a new partner, whether Baldwin or someone else.
The Angels will be hoping that Atlanta’s loss benefits them. They already have a solid catcher in Logan O’Hoppe, who won’t be 25 until February and is under contract until 2028, but d’Arnaud can serve as a senior backup.
Matt Thaiss, the only other backstop on the Angels’ 40-man roster, is out of options. General manager Perry Minasian indicated today that they are still working out arrangements with Thaiss, according to Sam Blum of The Athletic on X. Thaiss may switch to another position, but the team could also carry three catchers or make Thaiss available for trade. He is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasting a $1.3MM salary. The non-tender date is November 22, so possibly additional information about his status will emerge between now and then.
It’s probable that Minasian has been waiting for an opportunity to reconnect with d’Arnaud, as he completed a contract immediately after the veteran became available. Minasian served as a scout for the Blue Jays from 2009 until 2017. D’Arnaud, then a prospect, was traded to the Jays as part of the December 2009 Roy Halladay blockbuster. He was later dealt to the Mets as part of the December 2012 deal that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto.
Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta’s current general manager, was the Jays’ GM during both of those deals and appears to have made it a point to reunite with d’Arnaud a few years ago. Minasian and Anthopoulos’ overlapping careers appear to have resulted in solid connections that have lasted into the present, since the two teams have been frequent trade partners in recent years. Since Minasian was appointed in November 2020, the two teams have worked together on the August 2022 Raisel Iglesias transfer, the December 2023 David Fletcher move, the Jorge Soler deal from a few weeks ago, and a few more minor transactions. Ron Washington, the Angels’ manager, previously worked on Atlanta’s coaching staff.
Today’s news is not a trade, but it adds to the clubs’ history of interchanging players, with the Angels receiving d’Arnaud and Fasano after they were released by Atlanta. Fasano began his coaching career in 2009 in the Jays’ minor league system, with Minasian and Anthopoulos. Fasano began working as a catching coach for Atlanta in the fall of 2017, about the same time Anthopoulos was hired. He held that position until he was fired a few weeks ago, but he and d’Arnaud will reunite with Minasian in Anaheim.
The move raises the Angels’ estimated payroll to $174 million, according to RosterResource. That’s more than the $170 million they had to start 2024, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Owner Arte Moreno has stated that the wages will increase next year, however it is uncertain how much. Danny Jansen, Kyle Higashioka, Carson Kelly, and other free agents remain available to clubs that did not sign d’Arnaud.
Zuñiga, 26, was acquired from the Cardinals in February. He has 19 2/3 innings of major league experience and a 5.03 ERA. In the minors, he has had some respectable strikeout percentages, but walks have occasionally been an issue. He has thrown 113 2/3 innings in the minors over the last three years, with a 5.62 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate, and 11.6% walk rate.
He now enters DFA limbo, which may last a week as the Angels decide whether to trade him or place him on waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours, therefore a trade would need to be completed within the next five days. His fastball averaged 96.9 mph in the big leagues this year, and he still has an option season left, which may entice other clubs across the league.
