The Angels have designated catcher for a signment, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times . Thats the corresponding move for the club signing infielder , as was earlier. Thai s, 30 in May, now seems likely to depart the Angels for the first time in his profe sional career. He was their first round pick in 2016, getting selected 16th overall. Though he was a catcher in college, the Angels valued him more for his offensive abilities and immediately moved him to a corner infield role upon drafting him. He continued to show good talent with a bat in his hands as he worked his way towards the majors, hitting .279/.363 Ron Cey Jersey /.445 for a 117 wRC+ acro s multiple minor league levels from 2016 to 2019. But that production didnt translate to the major leagues when he was promoted. He hit .202 /.291/.405 in 2019 and 2020, his first 189 plate appearances in the big leagues. The Halos had a fairly crowded group of guys battling for playing time at the infield corners and designated hitter back then, including , , and , so they decided in 2021 to move Thai s back behind the plate. His major league offense still hasnt developed as hoped. Hes now up to 771 career plate appearances with a .208/.313/.342 line, 29.3% strikeout rate and 83 wRC+. Thats actually not bad by backup catcher standards. Catchers overall tend to be roughly 10% below average at the plate, including a league-wide 91 wRC+ for backstops in 2024. But his defense hasnt been especially well regarded, perhaps unsurprising for a guy who was away from the position for a few years. On top of that lackluster performance, Thai s has exhausted his option years, meaning he could no longer be easily sent to the minors. The Angels have seen emerge as their primary catcher and they just brought in to serve as a veteran complement for the next two years. Given all those factors, Thai s was squeezed off the roster and perhaps to another club for the first time in his career. DFA limbo can last up to a week but the waiver proce s takes 48 hours, meaning the Angels will have five days to see if theres any trade interest from other teams. His major league track record is obviously not too impre sive but its po sible there will be interest regardle s. Catching help is almost always in demand and its also po sible some team thinks they can help Thai s unlock something at the plate if they have him give up on the catching thing altogether. His 12.6% walk rate to this point in his career is quite strong, but he has struck out a lot and hasnt done much damage when he does put the bat on the ball. Thai s just cro sed three years of service time in 2024, meaning hes eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. projects him for a $1.3MM salary next year, not much above the $760K league minimum. If any club acquires him via trade or a waiver claim, he can theoretically be retained through 2027 via arbitration, though that coming to fruition would be contingent on him taking a step forward in terms of his performance. Teams like the Rays, Blue Jays, Padres, Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, Reds, Braves and others could be on the lookout for catching help this offseason. If any of them view Thai s as a viable option, theyll be calling the Angels in the coming days. Or as mentioned, perhaps some club is intrigued enough by the walks or the minor league track record to view Thai s as a potential late-blooming hitter. Rob Zastryzny Jersey