Travis d'Arnaud sets backup catcher market
The former Braves, Rays, and Mets catcher has reportedly signed a 2-year deal worth $6 million per season with the Los Angeles Angels.
Travis d’Arnaud and the Los Angeles Angels have set the market for the backup catcher this winter, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the two sides have agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal.
d’Arnaud, who will be 36 next season, hit the free agent market after the Braves declined an $8 million club option. He played in 89 games in Atlanta in 2024, starting 79 behind the plate, slashing .238/.302/.436 (103 OPS+) with 15 home runs. With the Angels, d’Arnaud will be the backup to promising young catcher Logan O’Hoppe.
At $6 million per season, that likely sets the backup catcher market for teams this offseason. The Diamondbacks have not indicated whether or not they’re in that market, but they do have some questions at that spot. Behind starting catcher Gabriel Moreno, they have the offensively-challenged José Herrera and the defensive-challenged Adrian Del Castillo as catchers on the 40-man roster. Both players would make close to the league minimum in 2025 if the D-backs stick with their internal options.
Further complicating the organization’s roster calculus is Herrera is out of options. He’s coming off his best season at the plate in 2024, hitting .227 with a home run and a .609 OPS. From past discussions with manager Torey Lovullo, the team prefers a strong defensive catcher as their backup. Herrera has mixed reviews on his glove, with -3 fielding runs on Baseball Reference and +1 on Baseball Savant. Both sites dinged him on blocking and throwing out runners, while Baseball Savant credits him with +2 framing runs.
On the other side, Del Castillo is the complete opposite. He’s a bat-first catcher who has a subpar throwing arm, with an average pop time to second base of 2.04. That in itself creates additional problems, where the opposing team is emboldened to try to steal and adds more stress on the pitching staff. That comes in stark contrast to Moreno, whose quick exchange and otherworldly accuracy are a deterrent to base stealers.
Looking at the free agent market, there are a few names to consider. Carson Kelly and Kyle Higashioka will likely be priced out for the D-backs, as both catchers could be looked at as starters and could get multiyear deals in the same range as d’Arnaud. That could have them looking at players such as Elias Diaz, James McCann, or Austin Wynns on minor league deals to compete with Herrera and Del Castillo in Spring Training.
Michael McDermott has been writing about the Arizona Diamondbacks, and their minor league system, for 9 seasons for AZ Snake Pit, Diamondbacks on SI, and Burn City Sports.