Free agent All-Star Travis d’Arnaud returns to Southern California on 2-year contract

The Los Angeles Angels signed free agent catcher Travis d’Arnaud, a Southern California native and former All-Star, to a two-year contract worth $12 million.

D’Arnaud, who turns 36 in February, will apparently back up established starter Logan O’Hoppe and give the team the experienced backstop it has lacked since Kurt Suzuki retired after the 2022 season.

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Last season with the Atlanta Braves, d’Arnaud slashed .238/.302/.436 in 99 games as the backup to Sean Murphy. Although he’s past his days as an everyday starter, d’Arnaud was an All-Star just two years ago in Atlanta and won a Silver Slugger Award in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

A 12-year veteran, d’Arnaud’s performance was critical to the Braves’ success the past five seasons, including their World Series victory in 2021.

D’Arnaud is a Long Beach native who attended Lakewood High School. The Philadelphia Phillies drafted him in the first round (37th overall) out of high school in 2007, then traded him two years later in the deal that sent Roy Halladay from Toronto to Philadelphia.

D’Arnaud was traded again before reaching the big leagues in the December 2012 blockbuster that sent Noah Syndergaard to the New York Mets for RA Dickey. In Queens, d’Arnaud played parts of seven seasons (2013-19) that included a trip to the World Series.

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In May 2019, the Mets designated d’Arnaud for assignment. He played one game for the Los Angeles Dodgers that year before going to the Tampa Bay Rays in a cash trade. With the Rays, d’Arnaud hit 16 home runs, drove in 67 runs and slashed .263/.323/.459 in 92 games.

That earned d’Arnaud a two-year, $16 million free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves after the season. Back in the NL East, d’Arnaud did some of his best work as the Braves reached the NL Championship Series in back-to-back years.

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In 2021, d’Arnaud hit .292 (7 for 24) with two home runs in the World Series as the Braves beat the Houston Astros in six games.

O’Hoppe, 24, is in no danger of losing his role as the Angels’ starting catcher after hitting 20 home runs in his first full season as a major league starter in 2024. However, the team may be concerned about his workload (136 games).

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The chance to sign a more experienced backup with a stronger track record than Matt Thaiss (a career .208/.313/.342 hitter) was probably too sensible to pass up. Angels general manager Perry Minasian was part of the Braves’ front office that signed d’Arnaud in November 2019.

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