Payne signed a minor-league deal with the Angels on Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Payne spent the 2022 season in the Cubs organization at Triple-A Iowa and hit .298/.335/.397 across 163 plate appearances. He's in his age-31 season and has only two big-league plate appearances.

Payne re-signed Monday with the Cubs on a minor-league contract, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

When Chicago's catching depth was tested in the final couple weeks of the season, Payne was summoned from Double-A Tennessee to provide depth. He appeared in one game and went hitless across two at-bats before being dropped from the 40-man roster in October. The Cubs valued Payne enough to bring him back as organizational depth, but he's unlikely to see extended big-league action at any point in 2022.

Payne was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Payne had his contract selected on the final day of the regular season but won't head into the offseason with a spot on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in his major-league debut.

The Cubs selected Payne's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Payne will serve as the backup to starting catcher Erick Castillo on Sunday in the Cubs' season finale in St. Louis after Willson Contreras (hip) joined four other Chicago backstops on the injured list. A 30th-round pick in 2015, the 28-year-old Payne spent most of the campaign at Double-A Tennessee, posting a .654 OPS over 59 games. He'll likely be outrighted off the 40-man roster over the winter.