Rangers add catcher Butera, righty Anderson

The Rangers added some catching depth Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran backstop Drew Butera ($1 million) and pitching depth by signing right-hander Justin Anderson to a two-year, $850,000 deal. Both are Minor League deals with an invitation to Spring Training.

Butera has played 11 years in the big leagues with five clubs, including the last 2 1/2 seasons with the Rockies. He spent the previous 3 1/2 seasons with the Royals, and he has played for the Twins, Dodgers and Angels. A solid defender, Butera is a career .198/.255/.294 hitter with 19 homers.

"First and foremost, they have great people there and it's a great organization, and I think the opportunity was really good,” Butera told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. “And it was the best opportunity for me to help the team win in the big leagues. Playing against them last year, you could tell the young talent that they had and the bright future moving forward."

Anderson, 28, didn’t pitch in 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 22, and he was non-tendered by the Angels on Dec. 2. He made 111 career relief appearances for the Angels from 2018-19, going 6-3 with a 4.75 ERA and five saves while averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Anderson was selected by the Angels in the 14th round of the 2014 June Draft out of UTSA.

? Offseason checklist: Rangers’ needs, moves

Butera played with Rangers general manager Chris Young with the Royals from 2015-17. They both won World Series rings in '15, with Butera catching the final strike thrown by Wade Davis to clinch the championship. Butera has caught no-hitters in both leagues (Francisco Liriano, 2011 and Josh Beckett, 2014).

"There's a ton of guys that I either crossed paths with in my career or played with, or against,” he said. “I've had a few coaches over my career that are there now. ... So I think knowing the type of people that [the Rangers] have there and how first-class they are -- that was another big seller."

The chance to play for a general manager you once caught is part of the process of becoming a veteran player in the Major Leagues. Butera, the son of former Major League catcher Sal Butera, will turn 38 in August and is nearing the end of his career. He’s closing in on 10 years of service time.

"That's the cool and unique part about my position,” he said. “There are different opportunities throughout someone's career, and thankfully I've been able to see different parts of the U.S. I've been, you know, grateful for the opportunities I've had the past, and I'm really excited about this one going forward.”