Angels land Cron, Grichuk in deal with Rockies

ATLANTA -- The Angels signaled they are buyers yet again with two key additions on Sunday, as outfielder Randal Grichuk and first baseman C.J. Cron are both returning to their original organization after a trade with the Rockies.

TRADE DETAILS
Angels get: OF Randal Grichuk, 1B C.J. Cron, cash
Rockies get: RHP Jake Madden, LHP Mason Albright

Grichuk, who was taken by the Angels one spot ahead of superstar Mike Trout in the first round of the 2009 Draft, and Cron, the club’s first-rounder in 2011, were acquired in exchange for pitching prospects Mason Albright (Angels’ No. 8per MLB Pipeline) and Jake Madden (No. 28). The Rockies are also sending over roughly $2 million to the Angels, who are above the luxury tax.

To make room for them on the 40-man roster, outfielder Taylor Ward was transferred to the 60-day IL and infielder Kevin Padlo was designated for assignment. It means Ward is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering facial fractures from being hit in the face by a fastball on Saturday.

“It just lengthens out our lineup with the injury to Taylor,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “They’re two good players. We’re still competitive, and we’re trying to make the team better.”

This is the Angels' second significant trade in a week after they announced they would not be trading two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is in the last year of his contract. It’s clear they’re making it a priority to get into the postseason for the first time since 2014, which was four years before Ohtani joined the team.

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The Halos also acquired right-handers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López from the White Sox for catching prospect Edgar Quero and pitching prospect Ky Bush. Grichuk, Cron, Giolito and López are all set to be free agents after the season, indicating the club’s urgency to win now and willingness to part with prospects.

Grichuk, 31, has batted .308/.365/.496 with eight homers, 19 doubles and 27 RBIs in 64 games this season. He fits in as a replacement for Ward and has played all three outfield spots this season, and he will join Hunter Renfroe and Mickey Moniak in the outfield with Jo Adell (oblique strain), Trout (left hamate fracture) and Ward on the injured list. Trout is expected to return by mid-to-late August, while Adell is likely to return in September.

Grichuk never played with the Angels, as he was traded to the Cardinals in 2013 before making his Major League debut. He's a career .251/.298/.468 hitter in 10 seasons with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Rockies. He also appeared in the postseason with St. Louis in '14 and '15 and with Toronto in ‘20.

“It’s super exciting, and it comes full circle here,” Grichuk said. “I didn't think it would take me 14 years to make it to the big leagues with the Angels, but here I am.”

Cron, who grew up in nearby Fullerton, Calif., has batted .260/.304/.476 with 11 homers, 12 doubles and 32 RBIs in 56 games this year. The 33-year-old played with the Angels from 2014-17 before being traded to the Rays for Luis Rengifo. He's a career .260/.321/.474 hitter in 10 seasons with the Angels, Rays, Twins, Tigers and Rockies.

Cron, who made the postseason with the Angels in 2014 and the Twins in ‘19, will be the club’s primary first baseman and will share time there with the left-handed-hitting Mike Moustakas.

“When I found out last night I was joining the team I played my first four years with in the big leagues, it was pretty special,” Cron said. “I still see a lot of familiar faces. So it makes this process I think a lot easier, and I'm excited.”

The pitchers the Angels parted with in the deal were both at Single-A. Madden was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 Draft out of Northwest Florida State College. The 21-year-old right-hander had a 5.46 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 39 walks in 64 1/3 innings (14 starts) for Inland Empire this season.

The Angels selected Albright in the 12th round of the 2021 Draft out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., making him the only high-school pitcher chosen among the 20 pitchers the Halos selected that year. The 20-year-old left-hander pitched to a 3.62 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) with 86 strikeouts and 20 walks in 79 2/3 innings for Inland Empire this season.

“It's never easy to trade young arms,” Minasian said. “But when you have the opportunity that we have in front of us, I felt like it was the right move to make and the right chance to take. And we'll continue to look to improve the club.”