Righthander Nick Tropeano, of West Islip, traded from Astros to Angels

Nick Tropeano, the pitcher from West Islip, was thrilled when he was promoted to the major leagues this season by the Astros. On Wednesday, he was excited about moving up in the standings, after he was traded to the defending American League West champion Angels.

"I feel great. It's an honor to be part of the Angels organization and to have an opportunity to contribute right away," he said.

The 24-year-old righthander, who began his rise through the Houston system after being a college standout for Stony Brook, had been considered a potential 2015 starter for the last-place Astros after having led the offense-oriented Pacific Coast League with a 3.03 earned run average. He finished the 2014 season by starting in front of family members, friends and former high school and college teammates at Citi Field against the Mets.

The Angels, who have openings at the Nos. 4 and 5 spots in their rotation, saw something in him. They dealt major-league catcher Hank Conger to the Astros for Tropeano and minor-league catcher Carlos Perez.

"It was a big surprise, on my part," said Tropeano, who acknowledged that being traded for the first time is jarring. "But looking into it, I see a great opportunity to go and play in L.A. It's such a great city and great organization."

Tropeano went 9-5 for Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 3.64 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. During his four years in the minor leagues, his earned run average was 3.26. He is grateful to the Astros for bringing him along and calling him up in September (1-3, 4.57 earned run average).

He added, "Going to a contender is a good feeling. It's a privilege and an honor to be part of a trade."

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