Blue Jays miss out on obvious catching upgrade as Angels swipe him off the board

Regardless of what Ross Atkins and Co. are saying, the Toronto Blue Jays could use another catcher this offseason. The club needs offense, period, so taking the roster spot that's currently penciled in as Tyler Heineman's makes all the sense in the world.

We recently floated a pair of intriguing catchers the Blue Jays could target in free agency to pair with Alejandro Kirk, if they don't bring back Danny Jansen. One of them was Travis d'Arnaud, who came off the board on Tuesday when the Angels signed him to a two-year, $12 million contract.

Over the course of what's turned into a 12-year career in the big leagues, d'Arnaud has performed well when he's given extensive playing time. He only just recently wrapped up a successful five-year stint as the Braves' oft-used backup catcher.

The 35-year-old has posted three straight seasons of 11 or more home runs while sporting an OPS+ that puts him above league-average in two of the three. He was also an All-Star back in 2022 when given the starting catcher role for Atlanta.

Ideal Blue Jays free agent target off the board as Angels strike

With the Blue Jays being an obvious team in need of some thump (and a new body behind the plate as Kirk's frequently used No. 2), d'Arnaud felt like a solid fit to join the club on a low-cost, short-term contract. Heck, the one he got with the Angels feels perfectly fair and could've easily been one the Blue Jays matched.

Long-time followers of the Blue Jays may recognize d'Arnaud's name, as he was one of the pieces that came over in the legendary Roy Halladay trade with the Phillies back in 2010. d'Arnaud turned himself into a solid prospect behind the plate for the Jays, but he was traded to the Mets for R.A. Dickey before he made his debut at the game's highest level.

To further connect d'Arnaud to the Blue Jays, he'll be joined on the Angels by his catching instructor from the Braves, Sal Fasano, who appeared in 16 games for the Jays back in 2007 (don't ask how his numbers looked) and worked as a minor league coach and manager in the Jays' system for a few years beginning in 2009.