The Astros announced that they have acquired catcher Hank Conger from the Angels in exchange for fellow catcher Carlos Perez and right-hander Nick Tropeano.
Conger, 26, split time with Chris Iannetta in Anaheim this past season but wasn’t a traditional backup catcher, as he received about 40 percent of the club’s plate appearances at the position. A former first-round pick, Conger batted .221/.293/.325 with four homers and is a lifetime .224/.294/.353 hitter in 768 plate appearances. Conger frequented top prospect lists prior to reaching the Majors, twice making Baseball America’s Top 100 (No. 79 and No. 84) and four times appearing on the Top 100 list of Baseball Prospectus (ranging between Nos. 81-89).
Though Conger’s bat hasn’t picked up at the Major League level to match his excellent Triple-A track record (.298/.371/.470), the Astros have plenty to like about his work behind the plate. He caught a slightly below-average 24 percent of base-stealers in 2014, but shined in terms of pitch-framing according to both Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner.com. Both metrics rated him as one of the four best framing catchers in baseball. The arbitration-eligible Conger is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $1.1MM this season and can be controlled via the arbitration process through 2017.
As for the Angels, they’ll get the type of cost-controlled rotation option they spent much of last offseason searching for during the infancy of the 2014-15 offseason. Tropeano, 24, made his big league debut with the Astros in 2014 and posted a 4.57 ERA with a 13-to-9 K/BB ratio and a 40.3 percent ground-ball rate in four starts (21 2/3 innings).
Baseball America ranked Tropeano as the No. 18 prospect in Houston’s system heading into the 2014 campaign and has praised his outstanding changeup multiple times in the past, grading it the best change in the Astros’ system in 2011-12 as well as the best change in the South Atlantic League in 2012. BA wrote in their scouting report that Tropeano sat 90-92 mph with a plus changeup and fringy slider that needed more work, but they also noted that he projected as a back-of-the-rotation starter or possibly more, depending on that breaking pitch’s development. MLB.com ranked Tropeano 13th among Houston farmhands following the season, also noting that he needed to further refine his slider.
As for Perez, he will give the Angels a near-MLB-ready replacement to back up Iannetta. The 24-year-old Venezuelan spent the past season at the Triple-A level where he batted .259/.323/.385 with six homers. He caught 32 percent of base-stealers last season in the minors and has caught runners at a strong 33 percent clip throughout his minor league career. BA ranked him 28th among Houston prospects prior to 2013, praising his defensive skills by calling him “fluid behind the plate” while noting that he handled velocity well and had quick pop times and a strong arm.
For the Angels, this trade allows them to add MLB-ready rotation depth without sacrificing either of Howie Kendrick or David Freese, both of whom have been rumored to be on the trading block. That the Halos have added a potential rotation piece without spending is significant; GM Jerry Dipoto and owner Arte Moreno have both stated a repeated desire to remain under baseball’s $189MM luxury tax threshold, and the team already has $140MM of guarantees committed toward that gap, to say nothing of arbitration eligible players and league-minimum players to round out the roster.
As for the Astros, their focus on improving the pitching staff will be aided by Conger’s excellent framing abilities. Incumbent catcher Jason Castro is also strong in that department, though it wouldn’t be a shock him and his projected $3.9MM salary shopped in an offseason featuring a free agent market that is painfully thin on catchers. While that’s just my speculation, the Astros could likely get by with a tandem of Conger and Max Stassi behind the plate while addressing other needs by dealing Castro.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The colorful Carlos Perez the pitcher for the Expos and Dodgers was mistakenly tagged in the player link.
The Angels acquired a 43 year old who hasn’t played in the majors since 2000?
I think we have a mixup.
They needed an upgrade over CJ Wilson maybe? That 5.56 ERA he put up 15 years ago might still hold up today. Who knows.
He means the Baseball Reference link. Links to a Pitcher named Carlos Perez
matt knows….he’s just making a joke. Gave me a good laugh though
I was being sarcastic. I know what he mean’t. lol
Can’t be any worse than Wilson in the playoffs.
More like cant get any worse than Wilson start. He was pretty terrible…pretty much the whole year.
Castro being traded? To the White Sox?
sure. they’ll take jose abreu and chris sale.
How about no
there’s no one else on that team anyone wants.
Quintana?
Quintana for a .651 OPS? Sure.
You aren’t getting much for Castro, Astros.
Well the fact that you think it would require Chris Sale or Jose Abreu to acquire Castro is hilarious…this last part is flat out not true.
it was a joke. there are no other good fits for the astros- gillaspie maybe… but that’s selling low for them.
No room for Garcia, Eaton, Quintana, Adams, Rodon, M. Johnson, Hawkins, Anderson, Bassitt, Montas, Danish, Beck, Sanchez, Semien, Michalszewski, Davidson, Fry, E. Johnson or A-Ram. Your team must be awesome.
I was thinking more of a Viciedo for Castro swap…
they don’t need someone who it’s .230 with low bb and hi SO. They’ve got that guy on the team already. They’ve got a lot of that guy.
You mean the baseball cards of Abreu and Sale?
You mean Bobby Abreu and No Sale? You’ll take the Danks brothers and like it!
How about Jordan Danks and Leury Garcia for Castro, Springer, Appel, Altuve and your ballpark?
I certainly thought of that….who do I have to pray to make this happen?
Maybe a package like Nate Jones, Francellis Montas and Leury Garcia could atleast get talks started.
I think Montas in the package with some else would get the ball rolling. That’s definitely a good start.
The Astros need a starting player to fill a hole. Corner infielder or pitcher- maybe shortstop.
Montas is a top 100 prospect. Castro brings nothing close to that,, much less the other 2 pieces.
catching with a track record of power equals platinum value in today’s MLB.
Yes but coming off a not so good year…the value could be higher for him if that didnt happen
agreed.
Tyler Flowers had more homers than Castro.
Yep. And it should continue with Springer and Castro. That’ll get the ball rolling. No Springer, no Montas.
Hope not; Sox have far more holes than the marginal upgrade (if that) Castro and his .651 OPS would bring.
I think it is more likely Castro has a better year than Flowers next season that the other way around. Flowers BABIP was high last year and likely won’t sustain.
Perhaps so, even probably so, but that doesn’t mean you trade much for that chance.
Less strike outs in more at bat’s will help quite a bit
IMO, White Sox should be adequate with Flowers and Phegley.
Yeah probably…you just have to be worried about Flowers and what he will do next year. Plus Castro and the White Sox have been rumored for some time.
I think Flowers is okay, esp. compared to the rest of the AL catchers not named Matt Wieters or Derek Norris. Most of his numbers are up from the years prior, he could work on his defense as it his position but hey you cant win em all.
Jason Castro did have a down 2014, but I actually believe in both Flowers/Phegley enough that I dont think Castro would be an improvement over either.
Just off the top of my head, I think Castro would be a better fit for the Marlins, Rays, Rockies, maybe even the Orioles if they let Hundley walk….
Nieto and probably our best catcher is Kevan Smith. I’ve always liked him. I just like Castro’s left handed bat at the bottom of the order, but we could do without him or his agent Mr. Boras.
Curious trade move. Potentially looking to move castro? Would have thought they were past that point though. Apparently Houston front office are high on pitch framing ability, hence the trade for conger.
i’m confused. Is this guy a 3rd backup? are they leveraging something big in the catching arena? It seems like if it’s one thing we’ve got is a lot of catching prospects… this is confusing.
They might finally trade Jason Castro.
that’s what I’m thinking. Stassi starting with Conger as a “veteran” back-up. Castro traded for a 3rd baseman with power.
The Astros acquired Moran for 3rd base late last year. Dominguez hits for cheap power…i think this move is right in the Stros wheelhouse….add a player that has not reached his potential as of yet.
Dominguez didn’t hit for any power- and the front office has identified the corner infield positions as areas they are actively seeking to improve in the market.
i highly doubt they spend big money on a 3b. the RP department is where they plan on getting better.
Maybe Castro for Matt Davidson. Sox future star third base man IMO is Trey Michalczewski anyway. Gillaspie and Semien can man the position for 2-3 years.
Wrong Carlos Perez is linked that is the pitched from the late 90’s not the catcher.
Here’s the Carlos Perez they meant to link…
baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=perez-…
Really not sure how Dipoto traded Conger for Tropeano but I like it.
Unless they are trading Jason Castro, I don’t get it for the Astros.
Luhnow’s going to do something. I just hope whatever he gets is equal to Trop. That was a pretty steep price to pay for Conger.
Yeah, I like this trade better for the Halos than the Stros because of Tropeano and the Angels need for pitching depth.
Why?
is tropeano still considered a prospect? if so where was he ranked in the organization?
He was ranked 11th in the Astros system as recently as last month by fangraphs. Here is FG’s scouting report on him:
Tropeano’s delivery isn’t pretty, but he commands his pitches well and competes, sitting 88-91 with sink that’s hit 94 mph, a fringy to average curveball and a plus changeup. Scouts round up on the their projections due to the swing-and-miss changeup, the deception and feel to pitch along with the bulldog approach of the NYC native.
Interesting maybe he can be another skaggs like player for the angels
Skaggs was literally the top left handed pitchign prospect in baseball. But as a fan, yes I agree he likely will be.
Under the radar trade! I like it! The Stros needed a catcher apparently, and we all know that the Angels need pitching. Tropeano impressed (at least me) in the few starts he had this year.
This might impact clubhouse chemistry as Conger seems to be a charismatic guy, as seen by his Intentional Talk stints. Also, he seemed to be close to both Trout and Richards.
The funny thing is the Astros really didn’t need a catcher with Castro, Corporan and Stassi on the roster.
Stros be Stro-in again I guess. Wasn’t aware of the catching depth though. Interesting Stros……very interesting.
My take on this is it doesn’t make much sense to trade Tropeano for a backup. If they trade Jason Castro and give Conger, who is a former top prospect, everyday AB’s, i understand the thinking behind it, but to ditch a pretty good pitching prospect for a backup catcher when you already got 2 guys and could sign a cheap FA with better defense and keep your prospects.
the Astros are always looking for a player that has not reached his potential as of yet. Catching is always a thin position. Example of players like the Conger deal: Keuchel. McHugh.
Keuchel was drafted by the Astros and has spend his entire career with their organization. I don’t see the comparison there.
just saying…Keuchel was a player that most thought would never work out. The Astros liked his potential.
Mike Scioscia works will all Angel catchers.
I’d guess he felt that Conger had hit a wall, Iannatta is over 30, and their high minors guys are so-so. Gives him a chance to work with a younger guy in Perez.
Perez was a throw in so the Angels would have a backup catcher. Tropeano, a 24 year old starting pitcher, was the real return.
I would have to agree. With us getting rid of buck and hester we dont really have any mlb ready options as a back-up. Plus Hank isnt really worth more than what we got and if the catcher is at least decent then the trade was a steal for us. I will miss his personality but probably not his play.
So if Conger can return an MLB ready starting pitcher what can the Halos get for Kendrick?
But you have to look at how many years they are controllable for too. Kendrick only has one year left where conger had arb years left i believe and the guys we got back also have arb years left. What can we get for one year of kendrick before he goes to FA, We could probably get a good bullpen arm/4-5 type starter and thats about it.
Detwiler and Treinen from the Nats ;D
That might not be a bad offer, I think we could get a little more for him though!
The real question is, If Conger can return an MLB ready starting pitcher, what can the Astros get for Castro?
But Tropeano does not project to be anywhere near an ace. More like a number 4. This was a trade for depth for the Angels. Doubtful these two become core fixtures.
I honestly do not understand this trade. Conger was a first round pick but he’s mediocre hitter and an average fielder. For that to bring in Tropeano who had a good 1.292 WHIP in the Majors and will likely improve considering his ridiculous 0.987 WHIP in AAA is simply beyond me.
The only thing I can think is that Castro is being traded, the Astros then would need a veteran, and became disinterested in Tropeano and trying to build him up (doubtful, but that is the only reason I would see in giving up a ready starter like Tropeano).
Last I heard Tropeano was only the Astros 10th or 11th ranked prospect. It’s not like Conger commanded a top draft pick in this trade. These are hole fillers. Guys who plug in those final spots. It’s not core talent.
IMO, it’s Corporan who will be replaced, as Conger theoretically has more offensive upside and it seems a wash defensively.
The only way Houston trades Castro is if Stassi is ready to take over and it’s obvious that he’s not.
Jason Castro for Jackie Bradly jr and Brandon Workman
Castro can platoon with Vasquez until Swihart is ready (probaably 2016). Castro can provide Boston with a decent hit tool with some power and a left handed bat.
Houston gets hyped top propect in Bradley, who failed to hit but was arguably the best defensive OFer who would fit perfectly in their big outfield. Plus hey can always work with his hitting
No matter how much I want to get rid of JBJ, that is not going to happen. The Red Sox have no need for a starting catcher. They will give that job to Vazquez and probably sign another guy like David Ross, an older vet, who will take a one year deal and be the backup. It also doesn’t help that the Red Sox have the BEST catching prospect in baseball right now.
Yes, I know im fully aware Swihart is in the minors and is arguably the best catching propspect in baseball. He projects as a impact all star catcher with comparsions to Posey and Varitek..I know.. However, he’s still a year away.
It would be ideal to pair Vasquez with Castro for 2015. Castro is a left handed bat and provides pretty good power and a pretty good hit tool.
JBJ is of no use to Boston with Castillo and Betts playing CF/RF
To be honest JBJ is of no use to anyone. He can’t hit MLB pitching. And I just don’t see the Sox trading for a catcher that still has all 3 of his arb years left. He is not a FA until 2017, if that is the definition of blocking a top prospect I don’t know what is.
Catching is one of the neediest positions in all baseball. Once Swihart is ready Boston should have no problem trading one of Vasquez or Castro. A Castro/Vasquez platoon would be really effective for the year.
The Astros are KNOW for buying low on players. JBJ, a top propsects in 2013, would 100% make sense for them. He provides gold glove caliber defense in a very very large outfield, and Houston can always work with him to get his swing right.
I think the trade makes sense for both teams
Terry, I asked Steve Adams about this. And he agreed with me that the Red Sox are NOT a place he could see Castro getting traded to.
Sets the table for Castro to the ChiSox.
There’s a convo above about it
I know. When I had sent this about two hours ago, it was the second comment and first on the Sox.
I wonder If the angels are still going to trade Howie? I think that they might trade him for some pitching prospects or a good relief pitcher and a pitching prospect. I would be sad to see Howie go, but it is time to look to the future which is what the angels are clearly doing. I did like that Baldoquin signing that they made he could be the angels top prospect and mlb’s top 50 by the end of the year possibly. Angels have a very bright future!
There’s also the possibility they can successfully transition Cory Rasmus back into the starter he was drafted as. So add Nick Tropeano and Cory Rasmus, as well as a possibly healthy Jose Alvarez, and suddenly the Angels have a very deep pipeline of young MLB-ready starting pitching that they created all on their own. One of the many ways a front office can work around having a farm system weak in starting pitching and high impact position players.
There are too many “ifs” there to count on it. Rasmus has made 6 starts in 3 seasons and Tropeano has good Minor League numbers but struggled in his brief stint in the Majors. It would be nice if all of those guys reach their ceiling but it’s not likely.
Save it. There are thousands of “if’s” in every rotation on every team at every level of the game baseball. The Angels have no more or less than any other major league team.
I’m not arguing that multiple low-ranked prospects, including relievers, will magically turn into rotation depth as you are.
Hmm. I don’t remember anyone ever saying anything about low level prospects magically hitting their ceiling. I’ve seen what their back end starters on their current depth chart can do. They don’t need any of them to hit their ceiling. Just provide innings if needed. The Angels are creating rotation depth for themselves. No more no less than any other team. All teams have the same “if’s” when it comes to back end starters and rotation depth. If any depth piece doesn’t have those question marks, they’d probably be a fixture in the rotation. Hmm.
Definitely the possibility of a Castro trade here. But there’s also the fact that Castro has an extreme platoon split. He hits .256/.334/.428/.762 against righties, but only .201/.254/.306/.560 against lefties. Conger could be used to spell Castro against tough lefties in the lineup. I think there’s more of a chance of a Carlos Corporan trade than a Castro trade. Either that, or they like catchers with last names that start with “C” (Castro, Corporan, Conger… just saying.)
The Angels are creating some depth via trade, and now with the possibility of Cory Rasmus being stretched back into a starter, and Jose Alvarez being healthy, their SP depth chart looks like this:
Jered Weaver
Garrett Richards
Matt Shoemaker
CJ Wilson
Hector Santiago
Cory Rasmus
Nick Tropeano
Jose Alvarez
Pretty soon Sean Newcomb will be added to that list, and Tyler Skaggs is projected to return in 2016.
**And now add Cesar Ramos as another swingman!
I really don’t know how the Angels managed to get something for Conger, but job well done!
my thoughts exactly!
i would like to think the sox would be in on castro but i wonder what value Luhnow would want for him considering he thought lucas harrell was worth lucas giolito
Hey Steve I think you have the wrong guy going to the Angels.
so when looking at his night in the box scores, it would be a conger line?? lol
I would’ve loved to have seen the Pirates grab him, because they sure aren’t signing Russ Martin and Sanchez/Stewart ain’t gonna cut it for 2015.