Atlanta Braves fans were shocked to learn that Travis d'Arnaud wasn't in the team's plans for 2025. This was solidified on Tuesday afternoon as d'Arnaud agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
Travis spent five years with the organization, providing incredible leadership and on-field performance. He might have been one of the most beloved players on the Braves during his half-decade with the team.
He posted on his Instagram moments before the news of his signing was released. It was a heartfelt and gut-wrenching goodbye to Braves Country. The post featured a video that showed moments from his time in Atlanta.
"I feel like I was not only part of the team, but part of the city. Thank you to all the fans, the coaches, the staff, and most importantly the players. I made a lot of lifelong friendships and hope for nothing but the best always."
Travis d'Arnaud shares heartfelt Instagram farewell to Braves fans
Fans loved Travis d'Arnaud and he always reciprocated the love when attending team events and fan fests. This is a tough pill to swallow as another fan favorite leaves for a new opportunity.
Travis' teammates and coaches loved him as well. They always talked about his great presence in the clubhouse, his great leadership, and how well he called games.
"I know I've learned a lot from him," Austin Riley stated after d'Arnaud reached 10 years of service in 2023. “Never too high. I’ve never seen him in a bad mood or anything. He’s just happy to be here.”
If you've watched Travis closely these last few years, you'd notice that about him. He's always happy to be with his teammates and help them achieve their goals. Travis has talked about how important this is stating, “The thing I try to do every day is keep everybody tight because, at some point, someone or something’s going to try to tear us apart. But if our bond’s tight, we should be good.”
One of Travis' most prominent supporters is former Atlanta coach Sal Fasano. Fasano is actually joining TDA in Anaheim as he was hired as an assistant pitching coach for the Angels. Sal was well-loved in the Braves dugout as well and stated, “What I think his biggest strength (is) as a human, it’s his interpersonal relationship with guys,” He continued, "People always look at catchers like we should be middle linebackers screaming rah-rah, all that kind of stuff. But you know me long enough where I’m not like that, either."
This is exactly why this move is tough for many Braves fans to accept. The logic behind not bringing d'Arnaud back makes sense; it's hard to justify $8 million for a backup catching option when Atlanta has so many needs to fill.
However, the loss of his leadership and ability to bring the best out of his teammates is hard to replace. Guys like that are like a needle in a haystack regarding Major League Baseball. With d'Arnaud gone, the Braves will have to hope someone steps up to fill the void.