Angels sign veteran catcher as added insurance behind Logan O'Hoppe

The Los Angeles Angels' catching room just became a bit more crowded ahead of Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not only do the Halos plan to welcome Logan O'Hoppe back from a brief stint on the injured list, but they reportedly signed veteran backstop Austin Wynns to a minor-league deal after his release from the Athletics earlier this week.

Wynns was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the A's in 2025 and was part of the team's Opening Day roster this season. He appeared in 14 games for the Athletics this year, and was hitting just .077 with a -38 OPS+ before being designated for assignment. Wynns rejected the assignment, choosing instead to become a free agent.

The veteran has quite the résumé, with six Major League stops throughout his eight-year career. Now 35 years old, he gives LA another catcher in the team's system, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he's called up to the major leagues in short order. Omar Martinez was already optioned back to the minors in anticipation of O'Hoppe's activation from the IL, and Travis d'Arnaud is still nursing plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Austin Wynns gives Angels another vetaran for Logan O'Hoppe to learn from

Signing Wynns isn't earth-shattering news by any stretch of the imagination, but it gives Los Angeles another veteran voice to continue to guide O'Hoppe's development. At this stage of the game, however, most Angels fans are beginning to wonder if the organization's former top prospect will ever live up to the hype.

O'Hoppe quickly became a fan-favorite in Anaheim after his rookie campaign in 2023. In 51 games, he hit .236 with a .500 slugging percentage and 113 wRC+. He had 14 round trippers in just 182 at-bats, and Angels fans were beginning to think they'd found a catcher with that rare aptitude of being able to hit for power.

But his performance since his rookie year has been anything but promising. O'Hoppe's played in 181 games since 2023 and is hitting a combined .228/.286/.381. The 40 home runs during that span are admirable, but he still managed to post a below-average 86 wRC+. Furthermore, his defense is subpar, making his presence in the starting lineup even more difficult to justify.

Many believed the 2026 season was a make-or-break campaign for O'Hoppe, and so far, he's done little to prove that he should remain in the Halos' long-term plans. The addition of Wynns isn't a long-term solution either, but perhaps he'll be able to strike a chord with the Angels' starting backstop that no one else has.

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