Travis d’Arnaud clearly understands exactly what his role is in his new team.

The veteran catcher said he was able to contact Angels starting catcher Logan O’Hoppe before the signing was announced and establish their relationship immediately.

“I want him to be the best Angels catcher of all time,” d’Arnaud said a day later on Wednesday. Angels announce two-year, $12 million deal. “I reached out to him a few minutes before it was released to the press because I want him to know I’m here for him. I don’t want anything mixed in from outside sources. I made sure to reach out to her to let her know that I was always here for her and anything she needed or wanted.

“My ears are always open. I will always tell him exactly what I think and not try to say the wrong thing to make him feel good. I want him to learn the right way, grow up and become a great actor. I am grateful and grateful to be able to work with such a breeder.

O’Hoppe, 24, is a cornerstone of the Angels’ rebuild. He showed his potential at and behind the plate. O’Hoppe was unable to work alongside a catcher of d’Arnaud’s experience in two major league seasons.

The Angels signed d’Arnaud because they believe the 35-year-old can still be productive — his .739 OPS last season was above average for a major league catcher — but also because they believe he can impact O’Hoppe and the team. young shooters.

As for the latter, d’Arnaud said he was impressed with what he saw from the Angels during their series with the Braves at Angel Stadium in August. Despite losing two of three games, the Angels got quality starts in the series from right-handers José Soriano and Jack Kochanowicz.

“Two of the starters were at high speed with bad swings that none of us could hit,” D’Arnaud said. “And that was a good Braves lineup and they shut down us pretty well.”

D’Arnaud also recalled seeing right-hander Ben Joyce, who capped the Angels’ only win of the series with a five-run save.

“Every time there’s a lead and Joyce is ready to go out there and fuel up, I know the other team is scared,” D’Arnaud said. “I became a part of it.”

Despite all this optimism, d’Arnaud still comes to a team that lost 99 games last season. He made the playoffs with the Atlanta Braves in all five seasons and won the World Series in 2021. He also made postseason appearances with the New York Mets in 2015 and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019.