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Astros trade for C Hank Conger

The Houston Astros have acquired catcher Hank Conger in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels got right-hander Nick Tropeano and minor league catcher Carlos Perez in the deal Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Conger played 80 games with 70 starts last season for the Angels. A first-round pick in 2006, Conger hit .221 with four homers and a career-high 25 RBIs.

Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow says: "We scouted him extensively this year as a divisional opponent and feel he brings a unique skill set to our organization."

Tropeano went 1-3 with a 4.57 ERA in four games for Houston in 2014. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he was 9-5 with a 3.03 ERA in 23 games.

Perez spent last season in Triple-A, hitting .259 with six homers and 34 RBIs.

The Angels also traded minor league righty Mark Sappington to the Tampa Bay Rays for left-hander Cesar Ramos on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Ramos pitched 43 games for the Rays last season, including seven starts. He was 2-6 with a 3.70 ERA. He was tied for seventh among AL relievers with 13 outings of at least two innings.

Ramos is 5-11 with one save and a 3.90 ERA in 186 games for San Diego and Tampa Bay.

Ramos went to Long Beach State and was part of a collegiate rotation with Angels ace Jered Weaver and former Angels pitcher Jason Vargas.

The 23-year-old Sappington went a combined 4-11 with a 6.02 ERA in Double-A and Single-A last season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.