The Angels have spent years trying to patch together answers at catcher, and the results have been rough enough to become a real organizational problem. Since 2016, Los Angeles catchers have produced a 75 WRC+, third-worst in MLB over that stretch, along with 7.9 fWAR, which is second-worst in that span.
The recent picture hasn’t been much better. Over the last three seasons, Logan O’Hoppe was the main option behind the plate, but in more than 300 games for the Angels he managed only 0.7 fWAR and an 83 WRC+.
He was dealt at the trade deadline to Texas, and Los Angeles has since leaned on Tyler Heineman, Travis D’Arnaud, and Moisés Ballesteros. That trio has combined for -0.7 fWAR.
So if the Angels are going to keep building toward something more stable, catcher has to be on the list. One possible answer could come from Toronto, where a breakout option has emerged and may be available this offseason.
Brandon Valenzuela has turned into one of the more interesting catchers in the Blue Jays’ system this year, and injuries have opened the door for him. The 25-year-old rookie has posted 1.8 fWAR, which ranks 16th among catchers this season. At the plate, he’s hit .216 with a .659 OPS in 85 games, but he’s added some extra-base damage with nine doubles and eight home runs.
Most of his value has come from his glove. Valenzuela has 12 fielding run value, the third-best mark among catchers this season.
He’s in the 100th percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average and Framing, and he sits in the 90th percentile in Pop Time. The area that has given him trouble is blocking, where he ranks in the 25th percentile.
Toronto’s roster situation is what makes this worth watching. The Blue Jays already have Alejandro Kirk, who signed a five-year extension that begins this season and runs through 2030. With Kirk in place, Valenzuela could become a name other clubs ask about, especially after showing he can handle a larger role while Kirk was injured.
That should put the Angels in the mix. They have plenty of holes to address this winter, and catcher is one of the biggest.
Valenzuela could be expensive, but he comes with five years of team control, and that kind of stability is exactly the sort of move Los Angeles should be chasing. With new ownership coming in, locking down a major position like catcher would be a strong place to start.
In Other News...
Angels May Have Found A Bullpen Answer Nobody Saw Coming
Ryan Watson arrived in Anaheim in early August as a waiver claim from the Red Sox, the kind of low-profile move that usually only matters if a club is trying to patch together the back end of a bullpen. For the Angels, though, the pickup has turned into something more than a depth add. In 16 appearances since joining the team, Watson has given them steady late-inning work and quickly become one of the more effective arms in a relief mix that has struggled for much of the season.
The appeal is obvious for a club searching for reliable outs after the starters hand over the lead. Watson has trimmed his numbers sharply since the move, posting a 1.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and he has earned a bigger role in the process. The larger question for the Angels is whether this is the start of a real bullpen answer or just a late-season burst from a pitcher who was barely on the radar a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face A Tough Reid Detmers And Walbert Urena Decision
Reid Detmers and Walbert Urena have given the Angels something they havent had often enough this season: two young arms worth building around. Both pitchers have already established new career highs in innings, and each has helped steady a staff on a last-place team that has spent too much time trying to piece things together. Detmers has been especially sharp since the break, working to a 1.65 ERA with strong strikeout-to-walk numbers, while Urena has emerged as one of the clubs most encouraging breakout stories.
The challenge now is less about what they have done and more about how much the Angels should ask them to do from here. Urenas rise has put him in the mix for AL Rookie of the Year consideration, and Detmers has looked like a pitcher the organization can lean on for years to come, but both are also carrying more innings than they have before. For a team not playing for a postseason chase, the balancing act is clear: keep the development momentum going without pushing either arm too far. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face A George Klassen Decision In Lost Final Weeks
George Klassens encouraging August comeback gave the Angels a late-season jolt, but the right-hander is now headed for a quiet finish after landing on the 15-day injured list with left lower back inflammation. Manager Kurt Suzuki said Klassen is unlikely to be activated before the season ends, cutting short a stretch in which the young pitcher had started to reestablish himself after earlier injury trouble.
Christian Moores situation is different, but it carries its own weight for an Angels club trying to sort out the edges of a lost season. The infielder has struggled at the plate all year and is stepping away briefly to work on consistency and plate discipline, with plans to return soon, leaving the team to balance development, health and a few unanswered roster questions as the calendar runs out. [Read more 🡒]