Feb. 10--Taylor Featherston, who spent the entire 2015 season with the Angels despite being overmatched most of the time at the plate, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named or cash, the team announced on Wednesday.
Featherston, who was designated for assignment last week, was selected by the Angels in the 2014 Rule 5 draft despite having played at no higher than the double-A level in his first four seasons of professional baseball.
That meant the Angels had to keep him on their big-league roster for the entire 2015 season or risk losing him to a waiver claim or to his former team, the Colorado Rockies.
The speedy and strong-armed Featherston, 26, was a valuable pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement at third base and second base, and he also played some shortstop. But he hit only .162 with a .212 on-base percentage and 46 strikeouts in 154 at-bats.
New Phillies General Manager Matt Klentak, a former Angels assistant GM, is very familiar with Featherston, who can now be optioned to the minor leagues without having to pass through waivers.
Twitter: @MikeDiGiovanna
