ANAHEIM -- The Angels are bringing back veteran catcher Tyler Heineman next season, as they signed him to a one-year deal worth $1,237,500 to avoid salary arbitration on Friday. Additionally, the Angels signed lefty reliever Sammy Peralta to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
Heineman, 35, gives the club some stability and leadership behind the plate, as he’ll share time there with 23-year-old Moisés Ballesteros while the Angels are still likely to add another backstop via free agency or trade. Catcher Logan Porter is also on the 40-man roster but could be designated for assignment at some point this offseason after playing just two games in the Majors with the club last year.
Heineman started last season with the Blue Jays but had his contract purchased by the Angels on June 17 and went on to hit .192/.238/.232 with two doubles, a triple and four RBIs in 44 games. But he worked well with Angels pitchers, as they had a 3.80 ERA while throwing to him while also ranking fifth among AL catchers in caught stealing percentage (31.1 percent, 19-for-61). He also went 21-for-36 (58.3%) on ABS challenges with the Angels.
Heineman is a local product who grew up in Pacific Palisades and attended UCLA before being selected in the eighth round of the 2012 Draft by the Astros. He’s played parts of seven years in the Majors with the Marlins, Giants, Blue Jays, Pirates, Red Sox and Angels, including five years with Toronto. He had a career year in 2025, hitting .289/.361/.416 in 61 games while also seeing action in the World Series with the Blue Jays that season. He's a career .220/.293/.294 hitter with five homers and 45 RBIs in 247 games.
With Heineman signed, the Angels now have 10 arbitration-eligible players: infielders Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Oswald Peraza; outfielders Jose Siri and Josh Lowe; right-handers Grayson Rodriguez, Ben Joyce and Sam Bachman; and left-handers Reid Detmers and Tayler Saucedo. Of that group, Siri and Lowe are the most likely to be non-tendered ahead of the Nov. 20 deadline.
But interim general manager John Mozeliak did say at the GM Meetings this week that he’d be open to tendering contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players.
Peralta, meanwhile, posted a 6.20 ERA with 19 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 1/3 innings with the Angels last season before becoming a free agent. The 28-year-old has a career 5.64 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 33 walks in 68 2/3 innings over parts of four seasons with the White Sox, Rockies and Angels.