Angels might find perfect catcher solution by trading with St. Louis Cardinals

While the rotation in Anaheim caught a lot of blame from the fans, the Angels' catching group was no strength throughout the 2025 season either. Logan O'Hoppe took a serious step back, and a demotion to Triple-A was called for by fans at some moments. Travis d'Arnaud was a serviceable backup catcher, but by no means had fans calling for him to be the starter going forward (even if there are some numbers that show he could benefit from starting).

Angels might find perfect catcher solution by trading with St. Louis Cardinals

Nevertheless, if the Angels are serious about contending for the playoffs in 2026, their answer at catcher will have to come from outside of their organization. And luckily, one NL team has a plethora of catching depth and is apparently ready to deal.

The St. Louis Cardinals were reported to be ready to trade away one, if not multiple catchers this off season. This is largely due to the upcoming roster crunch they will be facing, as the team currently has five catchers that will need to be on their 40-man roster before the Rule 5 Draft. Ivan Herrera - a designated hitter for most fo 2025 while also the best offensive player for the Cardinals - is the most intriguing option. He has multiple years of team control left, making him a great option for both 2026 and the years that follow. He is without a doubt a perfect candidate for the Angels, and trading away one of Caden Dana or George Klassen for Herrera would be a huge win for Perry Minasian as he fights for his job.

His backups - Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo - are younger options and were both serviceable for the Cardinals in 2025. There is definitely potential for both to turn into above-average starters - especially if they receive consistent playing time. But with O'Hoppe in tow, any young catcher would likely be splitting time with O'Hoppe and/or d'Arnaud in 2026 and potentially beyond. If the Angels like one of Pozo or Pages and are ready to give them a real chance to be an everyday starter, then they could be worth dealing for. But if it is going to be a split, their resources are better off finding a different replacement behind the dish at The Big A.

Odds are the Angels tread O'Hoppe and d'Arnaud back out there in 2026. Minasian and Arte Moreno seem to be focused on the pitching problems in Anaheim, and the catching group could be overlooked. If they do look for upgrades, though, Ivan Herrera is abou as good as it gets on the trade market.