Butera traded to Angels from Rangers

The Angels on Friday acquired catcher Drew Butera from the Rangers in exchange for a cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the Angels designated catcher Jack Kruger for assignment.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said the move to trade for Butera was made in response to depth issues at the catcher position. With Max Stassi (concussion) moved to the IL and Anthony Bemboom dealing with a minor back injury, Maddon said he didn’t want to overuse Kurt Suzuki.

“[Bemboom’s] back kind of locked up on him, so we had to go to Plan B,” Maddon said ahead of Friday’s game. “He's doing better. I, just again, talked to him walking around upstairs, but his back got really tight to the point where he would not be able to play. … So that did cause an alteration in plans too.”

Butera, 37, enters his second stint with the Angels organization after he was previously acquired in a trade with the Dodgers on Dec. 9, 2014, in exchange for outfielder Matt Long (PTBNL). He appeared in 10 games for the Angels in 2015 before being traded to Kansas City on May 7, 2015, for infielder Ryan Jackson.

“I've seen this guy really good,” Maddon said of Butera. “He's a very good receiver, he throws extremely well and he has a knack for pretty clutch hits.”

A former fifth-round Draft pick by the New York Mets, Butera has caught two no-hitters and was behind the plate for the final out of the Royals' 2015 World Series championship. On May 3, 2011, with Minnesota, he caught Francisco Liriano’s no-hitter against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field and on May 25, 2014, he paired with Josh Beckett to no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

In 541 career games, Butera owns a .198 (259-for-1,305) average with 58 doubles, 19 home runs and 118 RBIs, and his career 29.9 caught stealing percentage ranks 10th among actives since 2010 (min. 500 games).