Angels Sign Switch-Hitting Catcher to Minor-League Contract, Per Report

The former top prospect will join a crowded depth chart behind Logan O'Hoppe.

The Angels haven't made any big or exciting moves in free agency this offseason, but they have made a number of moves around the edges of their 40-man roster looking for an upgrade.

Their latest such move, according to one report, is the signing of switch-hitting catcher Francisco Mejia to a minor league contract.

Source: Francisco Mejía has signed a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training with the Los Angeles Angels. pic.twitter.com/XhoGD5cuYn

— Miriam Luz (@Miriamluzzzz) December 22, 2023

In Anaheim, Mejia joins a depth chart that already includes Logan O’Hoppe and Matt Thaiss, who split the majority of catching duties last season. The Angels also recently re-signed veteran backup Chad Wallach to a minor league deal.

Every team needs catching depth – particularly in spring training, when getting a "long look" at the pitchers in the organization inherently requires someone else to squat behind home plate and hold up a glove.

Mejia could be more than that. The Angels view O'Hoppe as their catcher of the future, but he is turning 24 next season and has never caught a full season in the major leagues.

Thaiss, a former first-round draft pick, was on the verge of breaking out last season while O'Hoppe worked his way back from a torn shoulder labrum. Thaiss held a .300 batting average and .823 OPS on May 29.

From that point on, Thaiss hit .169 with a .574 OPS, and only eight extra-base hits in 204 plate appearances. He also struggled with his glove at times. 

A left-handed hitter, Thaiss might need a strong spring training to establish his roster spot. He is 28 and out of minor league options.

Enter Mejia. A former top-20 prospect in all of baseball, he’s a career .239/.284/.394 hitter over parts of seven seasons with Cleveland, San Diego and Tampa Bay. A free agent for the first time at 28, Mejia will return to Southern California to join his fourth franchise.  

Switch-hitters are reputed to need longer to develop than most batters. Catchers also face a longer learning curve in the batter's box because of the defensive demands of their position. Optimistically, Mejia might be poised on the verge of a breakout.

Yet despite ample opportunities, Mejia has never flashed the potential that led him to be selected to the Futures Game three times (2016-18) and landed him on every major top-100 prospect list from 2017-19. 

Tampa Bay chose not to re-sign Mejia after he hit .227 with five home runs in 50 major league games last season. He also slashed .326/.359/.593 in 20 games at Triple-A Durham. 

Mejia missed time with a sprained MCL in his left knee last summer. When he was eligible to return to the Rays' roster in August, Mejia was designated for assignment instead.

Mejia joins a growing list of veterans whom the Angels have signed to minor league contracts this winter, including Wallach and outfielders Willie Calhoun and Jake Marisnick.