Will the Angels upgrade their backup catcher position this offseason?

The Angels have a laundry list of needs to address this offseason, and backup catcher could be viewed as an area in need of an upgrade.

Matt Thaiss has been a stalwart of the Angels organization, he is one of the longest tenured members of the team. Drafted in the first round out of the University of Virginia in 2016, Thaiss has been a high priority player for 8 years now. As a Virginia Cavalier, Thaiss made the National Championship as a freshman and won the title as a sophomore. Thaiss' position switched several times early in his career, having played at every infield position except shortstop with the big league team, but he's settled in as a catcher for the past three seasons.

The Angels will be spending money this offseason, and it remains to be seen if Logan O'Hoppe's backup will be evaluated as another area of need. O'Hoppe was pushed to catch as much as possible in 2024 because, moving forward, he is expected to be behind the plate more than almost anybody else in the league. His 125 games caught were third most in the league, trailing only Cal Raleigh and Shea Langeliers.

If the Angels are going to keep penciling in O'Hoppe as the team's catcher for, say, 5 out of every 6 games, why would the team spend its resources to acquire another catcher like Elias Díaz, Nick Fortes, Austin Hedges, Carson Kelly, etc.? They can continue to roll with Thaiss, and spend money to upgrade its pitchers, outfield, and infield depth. Thaiss is under contract through the 2027 season.

The overall numbers were lackluster for Thaiss, but he is still a higher level backup due to his reliability and availability (the Angels only used O'Hoppe and Thaiss as their catchers in 2024). Thaiss is tough, dependable, and possesses a sweet, left-handed swing. Of catchers to rack up at least 100 plate appearances, Thaiss' offensive fWAR ranked 26th. For a backup, that is as good as it gets.

Thaiss does not make a huge impact on the field, but he, like many catchers, is more of an off-field presence and leader. His intelligence and savvy are second to none. O'Hoppe has been lauded as the leader of the team, and Thaiss has assuredly helped usher in that role for the Angels' catcher of the future.

Does Thaiss queue up good pitch sequences? Does he have great working relationships with the pitching staff? The coaching staff? What fans cannot see are what make Thaiss valuable, and those are the questions that are most significant in evaluating their backup catcher. There are more than just the numbers when assessing catchers' importance, and the 29-year-old checks a lot of boxes when it comes to being an integral member of the roster.

Ron Washington is bringing every coach back next season in an effort to provide continuity to a normally turbulent Angels franchise. Catchers are de facto coaches on the field, and retaining Thaiss would be an extension of Washington's effort to keep the leaders in place for 2025 and beyond.