Angels trade infielder Taylor Featherston to Phillies

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