Angels pick up Tropeano, Perez for Conger

With Tyler Skaggs and Garrett Richards undergoing surgery late in the 2014 season, the Angels are in search of pitching depth. Wednesday afternoon, the squad traded away a catcher to get it.

The Angels sent catcher Hank Conger to Houston for a pair of 24-year-old prospects in right-hander Nick Tropeano and catcher Carlos Perez, the teams announced Wednesday.

Tropeano was the Astros' No. 13 prospect and is the prize return for L.A. He's a right-handed hurler with a fastball and changeup that both receive above-average grades. The 24-year-old was one of the Pacific Coast League's best starters in 2014, posting a 3.03 ERA with 120 strikeouts and 33 walks in 124 2/3 innings.

The 2011 fifth-rounder has the upside to work in a Major League rotation, and at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, has the frame to support a heavy work load. Per MLB Pipeline, the greatest determinant of whether he can stick as a starter will be the development of his slider, which, "Has a tendency to get slurvy, and it needs further refinement."

Tropeano was especially good early in 2014, with his ERA dropping to 2.09 by mid-June. He battled through forearm soreness in late June and ended up missing about a month to rest the injury. His fastball command was lacking upon his return, but he finished off the season allowing just three earned runs over his final 23 innings.

Perez is also 24 and spent 2014 with Triple-A Oklahoma City. At the plate, Perez hasn't shown much power, slugging just 20 homers over seven Minor League seasons. The Venezuelan has a .264 average and .692 OPS in 163 Triple-A games between 2013 and '14. Defensively, he threw out 32 percent (22-of-68) would-be basestealers.

The Astros added Perez to their 40-man roster on Monday. Perez has two brothers who have played professionally -- his older brother was a catcher in the Cubs system, and he has a younger brother who is with the White Sox. Both brothers are also named Carlos Perez.

Conger is a 26-year-old taken in the first round (25th overall) of the 2006 Draft. Praised as a bat-first backstop coming through the Minors, the switch-hitter hasn't made much of an impact offensively in the Majors, but has earned a reputation as an excellent receiver. Per StatCorner.com, Conger ranked fourth in value provided via pitch framing. Conger has a caught-stealing percentage of 22 percent over parts of five Major League seasons.