Catcher Travis D’Arnaud agreed to a two-year, US$12 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. He should act as a backup to Logan O’Hoppe.
He is the third veteran to join the Angels since the start of the offseason. The team also acquired Jorge Soler from the Atlanta Braves and hired reliever Kyle Hendricks.
D’Arnaud played 12 seasons in major league baseball, including the last five with the Braves. He had a .238 batting average in 99 games last season, hitting 15 homers and driving in 48 runs.
The Braves did not exercise the option worth $8 million to keep his services in 2025.
D’Arnaud, who will turn 36 before the start of next season, and general manager Perry Minasian believe the newcomer could be both a mentor and a replacement for O’Hoppe, perhaps the youngest player most promising of the club in reconstruction.
“Travis stood out as someone who could play at a high level,” Minasian said. He was part of winning teams. He knows what winning teams do. He has the ability to impact the locker room in as positive a way as anyone I’ve ever been around.
“He’s great with young pitchers. He is great with the technical staff. He is great with the manager. He’s just a great guy whose hometown is 25 minutes away. »
D’Arnaud 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 playing briefly with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019.
D’Arnaud knew Angels manager Ron Washington when both men were with the Braves.
