The busy offseason for Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian is reportedly continuing, as the team is rumored to be nearing a deal with veteran infielder Kevin Newman, according to Will Sammon and Sam Blum of The Athletic:
The Angels and infielder Kevin Newman are close to a deal, league sources tell me and @SamBlum3.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) November 14, 2024
Newman, 31, is entering his eighth MLB season after spending five years with the Pittsburgh Pirates and one year each with the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. His 2024 campaign with Arizona is what the Angels are banking on for Newman to be productive in Anaheim.
The veteran infielder played 111 games last season, posting a slash line of .278/.311/.375 with a .686 OPS and 91 OPS+. Those numbers by themselves are not necessarily inspiring, but Newman paired it with elite defense at the shortstop and second base position.
He combined for 10 defensive runs saved in his time manning the middle infield, and that’s exactly what the Angels are hoping for given a combination of factors.
The first is that they have some uncertainty at third base this offseason, with the status of Anthony Rendon on the roster — not just the starting lineup — in jeopardy. The Angels could find an outside signing to be the everyday player at the position, or they could turn to Luis Rengifo.
If the choose the latter, a spot at second base opens up for Newman. The other reason is that Zach Neto is expected to miss some time at the start of the season due to shoulder surgery, and this provides the Angels with a quality defensive backup.
But above all, the Angels are showing that their priority is replacement-level depth. The Halos gave away too many at-bats last season to players below replacement level, and they have already started to curb that by giving deals to Newman Scott Kingery and Ryan Noda in the infield.
Newman is by no means a ceiling-raiser, but he is undoubtedly a floor-raiser. And that’s something the Angels have not had enough of in recent years.
Angels sign Travis d’Arnaud
The Angels agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract with veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud, the team announced on Tuesday.
d’Arnaud, 35, is entering his 13th season and the Angels are the fifth team he’ll take the field for. He has previously been with the New York Mets, L.A. Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves. He is perhaps best known for his work with the Braves over the last five seasons.
The veteran catcher was one of the best batters at the position in the shortened 2020 season. He batted .321 with a .919 OPS and won the Silver Slugger Award at the catcher position. He had a down year in 2021, but rebounded with an All-Star 2022 season that saw him post a .791 OPS and 117 OPS+ in 107 games.
He has not been the most available catcher over the course of his career. He has never played more than 112 games in a season and has gone over 100 games in four of his 12 seasons. But that makes him an absolutely perfect fit for the Angels, as he will be backing up Logan O’Hoppe.