Cautious Cubs sit out as Travis d'Arnaud inks two-year deal with Los Angeles Angels

Jordan Campbell

Kansas City Royals v Atlanta Braves / Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/GettyImages

The Chicago Cubs' offseason appears to be off to a similar start to the one the team had last offseason.

Rather than jump the market in an effort to quickly fill the needs that the Cubs have on their Major League roster, Jed Hoyer and company seem comfortable in letting the market get establish before finding an opportunistic deal.

The latest example of that was veteran catcher Travis d'Arnaud signing with the Los Angeles Angels. After having his club option declined last week by the Atlanta Braves, d'Arnaud appeared to be a clear fit for the Cubs.

Instead, d'Arnaud inked a two-year deal with the Angels on Monday.

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a two-year, $12 million contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 12, 2024

The Angels have been aggressive through the early portion of the offseason. Last week, they inked former Chicago Cubs' starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks on a one-year deal.

When it comes to the Angels signing d'Arnaud, there is a tie-in for the Cubs beyond the interest they had in the veteran catcher. d'Arnaud will presumably serve as the backup catcher to ascending catcher Logan O'Hoppe, the Angels' catcher the Cubs tried to acquire at the Trade Deadline last season. The Angels are not expected to be interested in trading O'Hoppe this offseason.

It's early in the offseason so there will inevitably be overreaction when a rumored Cubs' target signs elsewhere. That said, if the Cubs do not make an addition to the Major League roster until the flip of the calendar year, as they did last offseason, the urgency in which Jed Hoyer is operating will need to be questioned. In closing the gap from being an 83-win team that has become comfortable at failing on margins to being a 90-win team that is perennially in the postseason, Hoyer will need to be uncomfortable and make an early deal or two. Otherwise, the comfort that Hoyer currently has will prove to be his undoing as the team's president of baseball operations.

Jordan Campbell

For nearly 15 years, Jordan has been a workhorse across the FanSided network - including being the inaugural site expert for Cubbies Crib, as well as a stop at Da Windy City as the site expert. In addition to returning to be a Co-Site Expert at Cubbies Crib, Jordan was previously the Site Expert at Bear Goggles On. In the years since, Jordan has joined FanSided's full-time team, serving as a staff writer for the MLB division. Jordan's work can be seen across the MLB division, including a consistent presence on our Cubs, Twins, Astros, and Tigers sites. Since 2010, Jordan has dedicated his craft to providing insightful commentary on all things Chicago sports, and he has enjoyed his venture into all things Major League Baseball.