Tampa Bay Rays Reportedly Sought Reunion with Catcher Travis d'Arnaud This Offseason

The veteran became a free agent earlier this offseason but eventually ended up inking a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud (16) hits a double against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning in game one of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park on Oct 1. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Before he signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels, catcher Travis d'Arnaud reportedly generated free agent interest from the Tampa Bay Rays, who he had previously played with.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times had the initial report, while the following comes from MLBTradeRumors. It links to Topkin's report, which is subscription-only.

The Rays had interest in a reunion with veteran catcher Travis d'Arnaud prior to his deal with the Angels, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

d'Arnaud became a free agent earlier this offseason after the Atlanta Braves declined his option.

The soon-to-be 36-year-old hit .238 this past season with 15 homers and 48 RBI for Atlanta, taking a good share of the workload after Sean Murphy suffered an early-season injury. He's spent 12 years in the big leagues with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Rays and Braves. He was also a member of the 2021 Braves title team. d'Arnaud is a lifetime .248 hitter.

The Rays will continue to look for an upgrade at the catcher position as the offseason moves forward. They already let Renee Pinto and Alex Jackson go this offseason and have just Ben Rortvedt penciled in at the position.

The catcher position is just one of many issues facing the Rays now. In addition to the damage to Tropicana Field, there are questions about the long-term viability of the franchise in Florida after issues have arisen with the team's new ballpark. That had been scheduled to open in 2028 but there are massive uncertainties at the moment.

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