The Angels moved quickly to keep their catching situation intact, reaching a one-year deal with Tyler Heineman worth $1,237,500.
For a team in the middle of a roster rebuild, the move gives Anaheim a familiar backup option behind the plate. Heineman, acquired for cash from the Toronto Blue Jays in June, appeared in 44 games for the Angels and hit .192/.238/.232. He and Travis d’Arnaud served as veteran insurance while Moises Ballesteros got his footing in the second half of the season.
d’Arnaud is still a free agent, but Heineman’s new contract makes his return official. The Angels also acted before the market could get complicated, with MLB expected to lock out players when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires Dec.
- Once that happens, teams will face a transaction freeze on major league signings and trades.
Heineman’s agreement also lines up with the salary the Blue Jays had already settled on with him earlier this year. Toronto avoided arbitration with the catcher in January and agreed to pay him $1,237,500 for 2026, the same figure he’ll now receive from the Angels.
The 35-year-old has bounced around the league since his 2019 debut with the San Francisco Giants, and Anaheim is now his sixth major league organization. A native of Pacific Palisades, he spent the first part of this season with Toronto, where he played 33 games before landing with the Angels.
Heineman’s value this year wasn’t just in the bat. He ranked fifth among American League catchers by throwing out 31.1 percent of runners, nabbing 19 of 61, and he tied for the AL lead with 12 sacrifices. Over 247 career MLB games, he has hit .220/.293/.294 with five home runs and 45 RBIs.
The signing likely closes the door on d’Arnaud’s time in Anaheim. The 37-year-old played only 32 games in 2026 and hit .158/.238/.237 after appearing in 69 games for the Angels in 2025.
The Angels also brought back pitcher Sammy Peralta on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Peralta cleared waivers and was outrighted to the minors on Oct. 29.
Peralta made 14 relief appearances for the Angels this season and went 0-0 with a 6.20 ERA. Opponents hit .356 against him, piling up 31 hits in 20.1 innings. The left-hander walked seven and struck out 19, and now he’ll stay in the organization with another shot at a 40-man roster spot in spring training.
In Other News...
Angels Face Growing Pressure On Zach Neto Before Crucial Deadline
The Angels have already started their general manager search at the MLB General Manager Meetings, but the bigger front-office question may be whether they can hold onto Zach Neto long enough to make a clear decision. Interim GM John Mozeliak acknowledged that interest in the star shortstop is picking up from multiple teams, which only adds to the pressure on a club that is trying to sort out its direction while the market around it keeps moving.
With the December 1 lockout looming, the Angels are working against a deadline that could shape the rest of their winter. Neto stands out as one of the more valuable shortstops available in trade discussions, especially with other options expected to hit the market this offseason, and that only makes the stakes higher for a team that has to decide whether to listen, hold firm or act before the window closes. [Read more 🡒]
Former Angels Manager Brad Ausmus Is Back In A Dugout
Brad Ausmus is headed back into a major league dugout, this time with Houston, where the Astros have hired the former Angels manager to lead the club. The announcement came from general manager Randy Flores, adding another familiar name to a franchise that knows Ausmus well from his playing days and his long run as a big league skipper.
For Angels fans, it is another reminder of how much managerial turnover has shaped the organization in recent years. Ausmus has already managed both Detroit and Los Angeles, and his most recent stop was as the bench coach for the Yankees, so this return gives Houston a veteran voice with a wide view of the game and leaves the Angels watching a former manager land back in a prominent chair. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Pitching Draftee Just Gave Fans Another Reason To Believe
The Arizona Fall League regular season offered a useful late look at a handful of pitching prospects who helped raise their profiles, and one of the more encouraging takeaways for Angels fans was the way the group kept showing different paths to success. Jarlin Susana overpowered hitters with strikeouts and velocity, Peyton Olejnik worked with a slider that helped keep hard contact down, Ryan Dromboski impressed with secondary stuff even without eye-popping velocity, and Alejandro Chiquillo leaned on off-speed pitches to get hitters to chase.
For an Angels system that has been looking for more pitching depth, that kind of variety matters. It is one thing to have a prospect flash one loud trait, but it is another to see multiple arms succeed in different ways against advanced competition, especially when the performances are backed by measurable results from their outings. The next question is which of these arms can carry that momentum into a bigger stage, and that is where the real intrigue begins. [Read more 🡒]