Angels Hire New Coach as Busy Offseason Continues

Maren Angus-Coombs | Nov 13, 2024

Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels added a former member of the Atlanta coaching staff on Tuesday.

The Angels have brought Sal Fasano on board as their assistant pitching coach, a newly created position. He will collaborate with pitching coach Barry Enright and bullpen coach Steve Karsay.

Fasano, a former Major League catcher, has previously worked with general manager Perry Minasian during their time with the Toronto Blue Jays and Braves. Minasian praised Fasano for his exceptional ability to work with pitchers, comparing him to Dave Duncan, another former catcher who became a highly regarded pitching coach.

And as an added bonus, d’Arnaud’s catching instructor with Atlanta, Sal Fasano, is joining the Angels as their assistant pitching coach https://t.co/okJ7PLHkON

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 12, 2024

The Braves announced they were parting ways with Fasano in early October but he was a key factor in developing Atlanta's Sean Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud.

Having two accomplished catchers — Murphy, a 2023 All-Star, and d'Arnaud, a 2022 All-Star — was a rare advantage for the team. This strength was further bolstered by Fasano, widely regarded as one of the best catching instructors in baseball. He was credited with developing a Braves program that pitchers praised for providing crucial stability and guidance.

Minasian is hoping Fasano can replicate that success with the Angels.

Colleagues believe Fasano could have easily transitioned to a big-league managerial role, but he’s found his true passion in teaching — breaking down the game and finding new ways to improve and pass on his knowledge to players.

D'Arnaud played seven seasons in the majors with the Mets, Tampa Bay, and one game with the Dodgers. However, it was his time with the Braves that marked the peak of his career, winning his first Silver Slugger Award in 2020 and making his first All-Star team. Working with Fasano in the later stages of his career has been a rewarding experience for d'Arnaud.

“Oh, it’s great,” d’Arnaud said. “He’s one of the reasons why I came here. He was my manager in Double-A (in 2011 with the Blue Jays organization). I knew how advanced of a mind he had, especially with catching, and I was right.”

That trust between d'Arnaud and Fasano now moves to the American League West. It might be a different scene but one thing remains the same – Fasano will have two catcher to work with.

Fasano will have to teach Logan O'Hoppe his philosophy but have d'Arnaud with him should help make the transition easier.