Angels Catcher Logan O’Hoppe Switches Agencies, and Shohei Ohtani Seems to Approve

Ohtani spotted applauding his former catcher on Instagram.

With all eyes on Shohei Ohtani this offseason – the reigning American League MVP has hit free agency for the first time in six years, in case you missed it – one of his recent teammates caught his attention, as Ohtani took the time to applaud him through social media.

Ohtani reposted an Instagram post on his story on Tuesday congratulating Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe, who was welcomed as a Creative Artists Agency client. The baseball agency represents Ohtani, Corbin Carroll and Trea Turner, among others.

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/06lhhxtPJ3

— chloe (@chloeg_13) December 5, 2023

O'Hoppe has caught for Ohtani for about a year now. The 23-year-old backstop was traded to the Angels before the 2022 trade deadline from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Brandon Marsh.

When he arrived, the Angels assigned O'Hoppe to their AA affiliate, the Rocket City Trash Pandas. He would quickly work his way through the minors and get called up to the Angels just before the season ended.

Last year, O'Hoppe was the Angels' Opening Day catcher and primarily caught for Ohtani when both players were healthy.

Early last season, O'Hoppe suffered a torn labrum that limited him to 51 games. Before the injury, he looked like a lock to become the Angels' catcher of the future, hitting .280 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and two doubles with an OPS of .899.

In 425.1 innings behind the plate, O'Hoppe's work with the Angels' pitchers drew praise. The advanced metrics suggested O'Hoppe still has room for growth. His framing, pop time and and caught-stealing numbers all ranked near the bottom of the league.

Although Ohtani reposted this post on his Instagram story, it should have Angels fans wondering if he will be returning. Some recent reports have suggested the Angels might be among the finalists for Ohtani, but reading the tea leaves has been difficult for fans.

When Ohtani speaks – even silently – it grabs the attention of everyone in the room.