Angels welcome new faces to compete for roster spots

C Drew Butera: His offensive numbers -- .183/.239/.268 slash line in five years with the Twins and Dodgers -- aren't aesthetically pleasing, but Butera sports an above-average caught-stealing percentage of 33 percent and has a good rapport with his pitchers. He's also out of options, and looks like a favorite to win the backup job behind Chris Iannetta.

INF Taylor Featherston: The Angels picked Featherston up in the Rule 5 Draft thinking he had a chance to be their new utility infielder. The 25-year-old has good power for a middle infielder, with a .276/.346/.457 slash line in four years in the Minors, and solid range at shortstop. But he needs to get better acclimated at third base to be a true utility man.

INF Johnny Giavotella: Giavotella will compete with Featherston, Josh Rutledge and Grant Green for either the starting second base job or a utility role. The 27-year-old has played in only 125 Major League games with the Royals over the last four years and is deemed below average defensively at second base. He's torched through the Pacific Coast League, though, and he can also play third base.

SP Andrew Heaney: The Angels were planning to hold onto Howie Kendrick, and then the opportunity to pick up Heaney came along. MLB.com has the wiry, 23-year-old left-hander listed as the Angels' best prospect and the 25th best in the game. He'll compete with Hector Santiago and Nick Tropeano for the fifth spot in the rotation this spring.

Top Prospects: Andrew Heaney, LHP, Angels

2015 MLB.com Top Prospects: Andrew Heaney has the ingredients to help the Angels in 2015 with his three solid pitches

OF Matt Joyce: Acquired from the Rays for reliever Kevin Jepsen on Dec. 16, Joyce is expected to start mostly at designated hitter while giving the Angels' lineup more length and an additional left-handed bat. The 30-year-old has batted .252/.341/.428 while averaging 136 games with the Rays the last four years and may bat second this year -- at least once Josh Hamilton returns.

RP Jeremy McBryde: McBryde was signed at the Major League minimum in early November to add to the Angels' right-handed relief depth. The 27-year-old spent his first seven of eight professional seasons in the Padres' organization and has yet to reach the Majors. As a closer for the A's Triple-A affiliate in 2014, McBryde posted a 2.22 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP, striking out 9.1 batters per nine innings.

C Carlos Perez: Perez was the less-notable piece of the trade that sent Hank Conger to the Astros for Tropeano, but the Angels like his skills behind the plate and will have him compete for the backup job behind Iannetta. Perez, 24, has batted .277/.357/.393 and thrown out 35 percent of would-be base stealers in his Minor League career with the Blue Jays and Astros.

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Angels welcome new faces to compete for roster spots