ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels traded catcher Jeff Mathis to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday for left-hander Brad Mills.
Although Mathis is a strong defensive catcher, he batted just .174 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 2011. He is batting .194 with 26 homers since starting his major league career in 2007.
Mathis said he is excited to work with Toronto’s pitching staff.
“That’s a big part of my game, getting to know the pitchers and what they like to do and how they like to throw the ball,” Mathis said on a conference call. “I’m just excited to be able to work with a bunch of those guys and get to know them and see if we can get on the same page and have a good year.”
The Angels acquired catcher Chris Iannetta from Colorado last Wednesday.
Mills made four starts for the Blue Jays last season, going 1-2 with a 9.82 ERA. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, going 11-9 in 24 starts.
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