The Los Angeles Angels have seemingly tried to make a postseason push for the last few years, but it hasn’t quite worked out for them. As a result, their roster is loaded with veteran talent, and the front office desperately needs to hit the reset button. But it seems like they’re going to continue to chase the postseason again going forward, even though they came up embarrassingly short this year.
As free agency and trade speculation begin to heat up, the Angels recently lost one of their veteran catchers.
On Wednesday, eight-year veteran Chad Wallach cut ties with the Angels and elected free agency, per MLB’s transaction log.
Wallach, 33, was originally a draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he never played a game in the big leagues with them. He debuted with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017, but played just six games that season.
The catcher would spend the next four seasons with the Miami Marlins before landing with the Angels in 2022. Wallach played 78 games with the Angels across three seasons, including only one game played this year. He didn’t appear in a game in 2024. The 2023 season was his best in the big leagues, as he slashed .197/.259/.376 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs for the Angels. He posted a 0.1 WAR that year, too.
Now, Wallach heads for free agency and will likely be in search of a minor league deal. There’s bound to be a team around the league willing to give him a chance in the minor leagues this winter.
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