The White Sox and Angels essentially swapped backup catchers for the 2024 season in a roundabout series of moves. After the White Sox signed key man, they needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster. To do so, they traded catcher to the Angels in exchange for cash, a common workaround to avoid the waiver process when dealing with roster casualties. The White Sox were willing to part with Robinson because they had just acquired key man from the Cubs, who had signed Carson Kelly and subsequently shopped Thaiss for cash. Interestingly, the Angels had sent Thaiss to the Cubs for cash back in November. It’s a convoluted chain of transactions, to say the least.
With this move, the Angels now have a third catcher, opting to keep Robinson on their 40-man roster over pitcher Davis Daniel. Robinson is likely seen as a potential backup if Logan O’Hoppe or Travis d’Arnaud face injuries next season. However, Robinson offers almost no offensive production at the major league level. While he does boast decent traditional defensive stats, such as throwing out baserunners, his underlying metrics—like pop time and arm strength—are below average. The Angels may be valuing his blocking, pitch-calling, or framing skills instead. Either way, if Robinson sees significant time with the big-league team, it likely indicates a problematic scenario for the Angels.
As for Daniel, he loses his shot at breaking camp as a long-relief option on Opening Day after being designated for assignment. It remains uncertain whether he will clear waivers and return to the Angels’ AAA roster as depth. The team opted to DFA Daniel over other possible candidates such as Gustavo Campero, Kyren Paris, Kelvin Caceres, Jack Dashwood, and Hans Crouse.
Matt Thaiss has a chance to carve out some playing time
Matt Thaiss is set to begin the season in a catching platoon with Korey Lee for the White Sox. Much like his time with the Angels, Thaiss will need to fend off top prospect Edgar Quero to maintain his spot on the major league roster. However, unlike his stint in Anaheim, Thaiss now faces additional competition from Kyle Teel, a highly MLB-ready prospect acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade.
Thaiss will also reunite with familiar faces on the White Sox coaching staff. He previously worked closely with hitting coach Marcus Thames, pitching coach Matt Wise, and bullpen coach Drew Butera during his time with the Angels. This familiarity could give him an advantage as he looks to carve out a role with his new team.
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