The Braves are kicking themselves for letting Travis d'Arnaud sign with the Angels

The Angels signed a catcher in the offseason who could easily turn their run prevention around and put some balls in seats for them this season, and the team that let him walk should be ashamed of themselves. Travis d'Arnaud, who by all accounts is an excellent teammate, leader, and baseball mind, had his $8 million club option declined by the Atlanta Braves after the 2024 season. They axed d'Arnaud off their roster for a measly sum of money -- in baseball terms -- because they were looking to shed salary (the same logic they used for the Jorge Soler trade). The Angels (AKA Braves West) immediately picked him up in free agency for two-years, $12 million, and Atlanta is definitely regretting their actions now.

Sean Murphy, Atlanta's no. 1 catcher, went down with a fractured rib recently and will be sidelined for about 4-6 weeks. Last Opening Day, Murphy suffered an abdominal strain and had an incredibly poor showing when he returned. He posted an abhorrent slash line of .193/.284/.352, as well as an equally bad 78 wRC+ and .281 wOBA. Murphy posted a slightly better bWAR in 2024, but d'Arnaud has the superior fWAR when you compare the two players. Every other relevant stat from last year is in d'Arnaud's favor as well. d'Arnaud played in 27 more games and posted much better total and rate stats for the Braves last year. Despite the catching platoon, d'Arnaud was clearly the Braves' better backstop.

The Braves will be relying on Chadwick Tromp (a Chuckie Robinson-type catcher that is solid defensively and terrible with the bat) and their top prospect in 23-year-old Drake Baldwin. Baldwin is a fun prospect, but catchers at that age are not normally relied upon so heavily on contending teams. Not to mention the Braves let go of Sal Fasano too, who was a long-time catchers coach. He is coaching on the pitching side for the Angels now.

d'Arnaud is saying all the right things with the Angels, including how he wants to help make Logan O'Hoppe the greatest catcher in the franchise's history. He is showing off his power in camp and is clearly a stabilizing figure for the pitching staff. For the fans, he is just a funny player to watch. His antics are next-level and he approaches the game with a refreshing looseness that this franchise desperately needs. He does not make a ton of money, but d'Arnaud could easily be the most impactful player for everything he brings both on and off the field.

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