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