MLB Insider Lists Angels Catcher As Possible Trade Candidate

With the winter meetings set to begin on Dec. 4. the MLB offseason should start to shake up as this is usually the time when general managers will start to take a more aggressive approach via free agency and on the trade block.

For the Los Angeles Angels, they have quite the decision to make at the catcher position.

For the first time in a long time, the Angels are pretty deep at the catcher position as they have Logan O'Hoppe, Matt Thaiss, and Max Stassi.

According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, Thaiss could find himself on his way out headed into next year.

"Logan O’Hoppe is the Angels’ catcher of the future, while Max Stassi is signed for $7 million in 2024 with a $7.5 million club option ($500,000 buyout) for 2025. Thaiss is out of options and could be dealt to a team looking for backup catching help."

Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com

With Stassi set to return back to the Angels clubhouse after missing all of last season due to his newborn son facing serious health issues, he will likely be the backup catcher for O'Hoppe, making Thaiss the odd man out.

Matt Thaiss' Resurgent 2023 Season

After being selected 16th overall by the Angels in the 2016 MLB Draft, Thaiss finally put together a pretty productive season with the Angels.

When O'Hoppe went down with a torn labrum on April 25, Thaiss found himself in unfamiliar territory for the Angels as he was called upon to become the everyday starting catcher for the Halos.

As Thaiss found himself becoming the everyday catcher, he had an incredible month of May hitting with a .333 batting average and an OPS of .855 with two home runs, nine RBIs, and two doubles. It seemed that things were starting to finally settle in for the former first-round draft pick.

However as the season went on, Thaiss failed to ever replicate the success he had during the month of May as he failed to hit over .250 for the rest of the season.

As the numbers show, Thaiss' bat is not one you want in the lineup every day, however, he thrived in clutch moments for the Halos last year as he held a .429 batting average with runners on second and third and a .286 batting average with the bases loaded, proving to be a reliable hitter for the Halos in clutch situations.

Unfortunately, even though he had his moments where the Angels found themselves calling his name in key moments of the ball game, Stassi appears to remain a better option for the Angels as a backup catcher. And with him out of options to go back down to the minors, it could be very likely that Thaiss could find himself on another roster in 2024.