Ranking the five Angels trade chips by likelihood of being dealt

2) Matt Thaiss

Against all odds, the Angels traded Max Stassi away this offseason clearing the path for Matt Thaiss to re-claim his role as Logan O'Hoppe's primary backup catcher. While Thaiss appears to be in the driver's seat for now, that doesn't mean the Angels will go through with it.

Thaiss began last season as O'Hoppe's backup and struggled at the start, but then really took off when O'Hoppe landed on the IL. Thaiss was one of the best offensive catchers in the American League for a couple of months but then really struggled down the stretch. His overall numbers didn't turn out to be so great, as he hit just .214 with a .659 OPS and an OPS+ of 80.

Thaiss is an intriguing piece to keep around as he did show signs of improvement this past season, but is also an inexperienced catcher. Having two inexperienced catchers in Thaiss and O'Hoppe playing every day catching a young pitching staff probably isn't the best recipe for success. While Stassi was extremely underwhelming in 2022 and overpaid, he did provide the veteran presence and strong defense that teams value behind the dish.

I don't think trading Thaiss is a must, but I wouldn't be shocked to see the Angels part with him and his four years of control for a different player, and then turn around and add a veteran backstop to pair with O'Hoppe.