The Angels and free agent catcher Austin Wynns agree to a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned. The Klutch Sports client opened the season with a division A rival but was designated for assignment last week. After Wynns cleared waivers, the A’s offered to offer him to Triple-A Las Vegas, but as a player with five-plus years of experience, he had the right to decline, which he did. The A’s then placed him on waivers, and he subsequently became a free agent.
Wynns spent nearly a year with the A’s after being acquired in a trade with the Reds last June. He made 63 plate appearances with Cincinnati and turned in a whopping .390/.429/.661 slash (three homers, seven doubles), but that kind of production wouldn’t continue; Wynns had a poor record before that outburst, and while the brief spike in power was impressive, his overall batting line was also boosted by a sky-high .513 average on balls in play.
Now 35 years old, Wynns ended up taking 110 plate appearances with the A’s and slashing .167/.204/.304 in that span. A well-traveled backstop job grades somewhere between the extremes of those Cincinnati highs and the West Sacramento lows. He suited up for the Reds, A’s, Orioles, Giants, Dodgers and Rockies, compiling a lifetime .231/.276/.347 slash line in 826 major league plate appearances (293 games).
Wynns doesn’t draw premium frame marks, but Statcast thinks he’s solid when it comes to blocking balls in the dirt. Even more impressive, Wynns blocked 30.2% of steals he attempted in the majors – matching his career 31% mark in the minors. He’s quite strong when it comes to controlling the run game, and clubs clearly value his experience, defensive ability and fielding, as evidenced by his five-plus years of service despite working less in the batting box.
Because Wynns has five-plus years under his belt, he was able to opt for free agency and retain the remainder of this year’s $1.1MM salary. OA is in a big position for that amount. The Angels will owe Wynns only the minor league minimum for any time spent on the major league roster. That will be subtracted from what the A’s have left to pay.
The Angels’ catching depth has had a big impact in recent weeks. Logan O’Hoppe he broke his wrist in late April. That injury pushed Travis d’Arnaud in the starting role, but went on the injured list last week due to plantar fasciitis.
That injury left the Halos Sebastián Rivero and the rookie Omar Martinez as a tandem to hold the current. Both signed minor league deals over the winter. Rivero entered the season with just 162 days of major league service. He hit .169/.220/.202 in 134 plate appearances and .248/.296/.369 in 785 Triple-A plate appearances spread over six seasons.
Martinez, 25, had never played in the majors before being called up earlier this week. He is 1-for-3 in his new MLB career. The Venezuelan-born backstop posted respectable numbers in the minors with the Yankees but slashed .208/.297/.358 with a 34.4% strikeout rate in 259 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A from last season. Given the tandem’s poor track record, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Wynns find themselves hosting games at Angel Stadium in the near future.
