Travis d'Arnaud

Zuniga was designated for assignment after the Angels signed Travis d'Arnaud. The right-hander made 15 appearances for Los Angeles in 2024 with a 5.09 ERA and 12/8 K/BB across 17 2/3 innings. There should be interest in him on a minor-league deal now that he's on the open market.

The Angels needed a spot on their 40-man roster after signing Kevin Newman, and Thaiss was a more palatable choice to be let go now that Travis d'Arnaud is in town. Thaiss hit .204/.323/.299 in 57 games in 2024. He could latch on with another organization as a backup, but it's also likely he re-joins the Angels on a minor league contract as organizational depth.

The Angels seem to be scooping up all the veterans this offseason, trading for Jorge Soler and signing Travis d'Arnaud and now Newman. The 31-year-old hit .278 in 288 at-bats in 2024 with three home runs, 28 RBI, and eight steals. However, the veteran's real value will come with his elite defense across the infield, which has led him to be a positive-WAR player over his career. He will likely fill a utility role off the bench for the Angels. Matt Thais was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

The Angels seem to be scooping up all the veterans this offseason, trading for Jorge Soler and signing Travis d'Arnaud and now Newman. The 31-year-old hit .278 in 288 at-bats in 2024 with three home runs, 28 RBI, and eight steals. However, the veteran's real value will come with his elite defense across the infield, which has led him to be a positive-WAR player over his career. He will likely fill a utility role off the bench for the Angels.

D'Arnaud joins the Angels after a five-year stint in Atlanta that included an All-Star bid in 2022.