Travis d'Arnaud Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Free-agent catcher Travis d'Arnaud and the Los Angeles Angels agreed on a two-year, $12 million deal on Tuesday, according to sources. d'Arnaud hit the free-agent market after the World Series after the Atlanta Braves declined his $8 million team option for the 2025 season. Despite splitting playing time behind the plate the last two years in Atlanta with Sean Murphy, the 35-year-old veteran was serviceable on offense, slashing .232/.295/.418 with a .714 OPS, 26 home runs, 87 RBI and 71 runs scored in 173 games played and 633 plate appearances. d'Arnaud will be returning home to LA and should be expected to serve as the team's backup catcher behind Logan O'Hoppe. He could still be attractive in two-catcher leagues, but the move to Anaheim from Atlanta no doubt is a downgrade fantasy-wise in a much less potent offense.
The Atlanta Braves declined their $8 million club option on catcher Travis d'Arnaud for the 2025 season, according to sources. d'Arnaud will now hit the open market. In addition, the Braves also declined the option on right-handed reliever Luke Jackson. The Braves were expected to pick up d'Arnaud's option after they were eliminated in the wild-card series against the San Diego Padres, but Atlanta evidently decided to go in another direction with catching prospect Drake Baldwin being a realistic option to make his big-league debut in 2025. The Braves also have Sean Murphy at the position. d'Arnaud, 35, hit .238/.302/.436 with an above-average .739 OPS, 15 homers and 48 RBI in 99 games in 2024, but his fantasy value was capped while sharing playing time with Murphy. He could have more fantasy upside next year, depending on whether he can land a starting role elsewhere.
Braves To Pick Up Options On Travis d'Arnaud, Aaron Bummer
Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said that the team is planning to exercise their 2025 club options for catcher Travis d'Arnaud ($8 million) and left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer ($7.25 million). d'Arnaud saw much more playing time than expected in 2024, even when Sean Murphy was healthy. He was the better offensive backstop of the two also, hitting .238/.302/.436 with a .739 OPS, 15 home runs, 48 RBI and 40 runs scored in 99 regular-season games for Atlanta. The 35-year-old veteran should be expected to split duties at catcher with Murphy again in 2025. Bummer, 31, could be Atlanta's primary late-inning left-hander in 2025. In his first year with the Braves in 2024, he went 4-3 with a 3.58 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings over his 56 appearances out of the bullpen.
Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud is not in the starting nine on Sunday afternoon as the Braves look to complete a three-game sweep against the Kansas City Royals. The backstop was the hero on Saturday evening as he launched a walk-off home run. As a result, Sean Murphy will slot in behind the dish and catch for right-hander Charlie Morton. Fantasy managers should expect d'Arnaud to get the nod in at least one game of the doubleheader against the New York Mets on Monday. Murphy is a solid play in DFS this afternoon as he will bat in the seven-hole and should have many RBI opportunities against Kansas City right-hander Alec Marsh.
Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts to that point in the game, but belted a pitch from Royals reliever Sam Long over the center-field wall for the walk-off 2-1 win. The victory was huge for the Braves as both the Mets and Diamondbacks both lost as the three teams vie for the final two Wild Card spots. The veteran backstop has had a rough month, slashing .163/.280/.256 in 43 at-bats, and it was his first long ball since August 26. The 35-year-old has put together a solid season as a real-life catcher, not so much for fantasy, logging 97 games played with a .236-15-48-39-1 line working as the Braves backup, although he worked as the starter while Sean Murphy was out with injury.
The Atlanta Braves reinstated catcher Travis d'Arnaud from the paternity list on Thursday and optioned catcher Chadwick Tromp to Triple-A Gwinnett after Wednesday's game in a corresponding move. The Braves have a scheduled day off on Thursday before they start a crucial four-game series on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. d'Arnaud was away from the team for three games earlier this week as he welcomed a new addition to the family. The 35-year-old veteran will return to sharing time behind the dish in Atlanta with Sean Murphy. He's having another solid season as a platoon catching option for the Braves in 2024 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI to go with a .245/.306/.456 slash line in 90 games played. d'Arnaud will now look to get going after picking up just three hits in 16 at-bats with seven strikeouts in five games in September.
The Atlanta Braves placed catcher Travis d'Arnaud on the paternity list on Monday and recalled catcher Chadwick Tromp from the minors in a corresponding move. Regular catcher Sean Murphy is behind the plate on Monday for right-hander Charlie Morton and is hitting fifth against Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez. d'Arnaud will most likely miss the next three games against the Reds while welcoming a new addition to his family, but he should be back this weekend for a crucial weekend series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 35-year-old veteran continues to share playing time with Murphy and has hit .245 (67-for-274) with 14 home runs and 46 RBI in 304 plate appearances over his 90 games. Tromp will likely start one of the three games against Cincy with d'Arnaud not around.
Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud (wrist) is unlikely to play on Sunday after being hit by a pitch in his wrist on Saturday evening. David O'Brien of The Athletic reported that the backstop had his wrist wrapped up, but he is feeling "ok." Manager Brian Snitker expressed that they will probably stay away from using him in Sunday's game. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Sean Murphy to be slotted in the starting nine and be behind the dish. The 35-year-old went 4-for-16 in his previous five games, while Murphy has been hot at the plate, holding a strong .316 AVG during this span. Murphy is worth considering in DFS contests this afternoon as he is slated to face Los Angeles right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, who enters Sunday with a hefty 7.98 ERA.
Travis d'Arnaud Closes Strong July With Two Homers
Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud was one of two members of the team to smash two home runs in Wednesday afternoon's win over the hosting Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, collecting his 10th and 11th homers of the campaign in the victory. d'Arnaud went back-to-back with first baseman Matt Olson with a tater to left field off Brewers ace Freddy Peralta to tie the game at two runs apiece in the fourth inning, later going back-to-back with Olson for the second time in the game to extend the Braves' lead to 6-2 in the eighth frame. Although his playing time is sporadic with starter Sean Murphy healthy, the 35-year-old veteran backstop hit a strong .370 over 46 at-bats in the month of July to go with four dingers, 10 RBI, and one stolen base. If Murphy ever were to go down again, d'Arnaud would rise to mixed-league fantasy relevance in all formats.
Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the hosting New York Mets and right-hander Tylor Megill. The veteran singled in his four trips to the plate on Friday but will give way to Sean Murphy behind the dish on Saturday. It's been a productive 2024 campaign for the 35-year-old who is hitting .257 with nine home runs and a .777 OPS across 69 games and 224 trips to the plate, production that grades out 15% above the league average, as per his 115 wRC+. d'Arnaud's production has earned him more reps behind the plate over Murphy who has taken a step back at the dish in 2024. Fantasy managers who scooped him up should be pleased with d'Arnaud's production at a cheap cost this season.
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