Angels' young catcher rumored to potentially be moved in offseason by MLB insider

The rumor mill has officially started this offseason for the Angels and the entirety of MLB. The Halos have already been making moves on the waiver wires, claiming a promising arm to strengthen a heavily depleted bullpen. Their slugging duo of corner outfielders Jo Adell and Taylor Ward have been mentioned as possible trade candidates as the Halos look to build their rotation out in free agency as well as on the trade market. And now, a member of the Angels’ young core has been mentioned in the rumor mill. 

Jon Morosi of MLB Network -  the same reporter who broke the Adell/Ward trade potential - mentioned on Tuesday that the Angels’ young catcher Logan O’Hoppe could be a candidate to be traded as well this offseason. His name was included in a broader conversation of young catchers who could find themselves on the move, as the Baltimore Orioles’ Adley Rutschman and the San Francisco Giants’ Patrick Bailey were mentioned as well. One could argue that all three of these catchers saw a decrease in their overall trade value this season, as O’Hoppe’s struggles were well documented and the Orioles’ extended Rutschman’s fellow backstop in Baltimore, making the trade possibilities around him feasible. 

Despite O’Hoppe’s poor 2025 season for the Angels - where he saw regression both at the plate and on the defensive side of the game - Morosi points at his service time and team control as a reason catcher-starved teams may be willing to bet on the upside. Morosi also mentioned that if the Philadelphia Phillies are not able to retain All Star catcher J.T Realmuto, they could be in the market for a young, cost-controlled backstop. While O’Hoppe’s pay in 2026 will see a substantial raise as he enters into arbitration, it will still be significantly lower than a proven veteran would cost on the open market in free agency. 

After such a poor 2025, the Angels will surely listen on trades for O’Hoppe. While both the catcher and organization seem to believe in a bounce back during the 2026 campaign, if they can find a reliable starter or reliever in return for O’Hoppe it is a trade they would have to make to build out the team as best as possible. While Travis d’Arnaud is definitely not the long-term answer at catcher in Anaheim, he is under contract for 2026 and there are reasons to believe in him as the primary catcher if he is forced into the role.