Travis d’Arnaud had been a critical piece of the Braves since joining in 2020, including catching every single postseason game en route to the World Series in 2021.
So, it was a bit surprising when Atlanta declined to pick up a palatable $8 million option to keep him in town. However, considering the recent developments around Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Joe Jimenez, it makes more sense.
“From when the offseason ended to when we needed to make the decision, things had changed for us,” Anthopoulos said in an interview on 680 The Fan. “We got a little more clarity on Acuna and when he would be back and we were able to rule out Opening Day. Strider the same way. We were able to rule out Opening Day. Joe Jimenez obviously had surgery, out until at least the All-Star break, could be the season.”
In a depleted free agent market, d’Arnuad was always going to have plenty of suitors. Just days after the Braves declined his option, he signed a new deal, joining old friend Ron Washington in Los Angeles on a two-year, $12 million contract, but the Angels weren’t the only interested club.
The Rays were interested in a reunion with the veteran catcher, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Before d’Arnaud joined the Braves, he spent the 2019 season with Tampa Bay, playing in 92 games for the club.
He helped the Rays return to the postseason that year for the first time since 2013, hitting a solid .263/.323/.459 with 16 homers in just 365 trips to the plate, good for a wRC+ of 109. The impressive campaign helped him land a deal with the Braves prior to the 2020 season, where he would go on to spend the next five seasons as a fixture in Atlanta’s lineup.
Over his tenure with the Braves, the veteran produced a .251/.312/.443 slash line, with a 106 wRC+, which is slightly above league average. Considering his position, though, that’s very valuable production.
However, spending $8 million for a backup catcher is quite the luxury, one the Braves could no longer afford with so many other pressing needs this offseason. Sean Murphy is now in line to take a bulk of the starts behind the dish, a role that has suited him better in the past.
