When the Los Angeles Angels signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud to a two-year, $12 million deal, it was with the hope that the veteran would become a mentor for young Halo, Logan O’Hoppe.
Soon after the Angels acquired d’Arnaud, he expressed a desire to help O’Hoppe flourish in the following years.
“I want him to be the greatest Angels catcher of all time,” d’Arnaud said via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “I reached out to him moments before it was released to the press, because I want him to know that I’m here for him. I don’t want anything to get possibly stirred up from outside sources. I made sure I reached out to him to let him know I’m always here for him and anything he ever needs or wants.”
It appears the backstop duo remained in contact with each other throughout the winter.
“I talked to him the most out of anyone this offseason, coaches included,” O’Hoppe said, via The Sporting Tribune’s Jack Janes.
O’Hoppe caught the third-most games in the big leagues last season. After a full-season under his belt, the 25-year-old catcher experienced his first offensive slump from early August to mid-September where he hit .103 across 34 games.
Nevertheless, O’Hoppe finished the 2024 season strong slashing.244/.303/.409 with 20 homers, 17 doubles and 56 RBIs.
Manager Ron Washington believes his young catcher took on too heavy a load last year, which propelled the Angels to sign d’Arnaud this winter.
The arrival of d’Arnaud should help relieve some of the burden off of O’Hoppe this season, helping the 25-year-old avoid any burnout by giving him a few days off throughout the year.
It’s evident the pair have already formed a quick friendship, and highlights another good signing from the Angels this winter.
“It’s like a big brother to a little brother,” d’Arnaud said. “We like to joke around a lot. He’s had some great questions and I’ve been able to give him advice on what I’ve heard from my experiences and also from other Hall of Famers that I’ve heard. He’s really easy to get along with and he has leadership qualities which I like to see too.”
