Angels acquire Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron in trade with Rockies
C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk talk about rejoining the Angels after being traded by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
ATLANTA — Angels general manager Perry Minasian wasted little time looking for help following a major injury to the team ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Roughly six hours after their 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, the Angels announced they had acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk, infielder C.J. Cron and cash considerations from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor league pitchers Mason Albright and Jake Madden.
The Angels made the move with Taylor Ward heading to the 60-day injured list. The left fielder sustained multiple face fractures after he was hit in the face with a 92-mph pitch from Toronto starter Alek Manoah in the Angels’ loss Saturday. There’s a chance he might not return this season.
In the last five weeks, the Angels have made several moves to improve their roster and, they hope, show Shohei Ohtani that they are serious about winning.
Rather than wonder whether the Angels could maybe make their outfield work by platooning other position players, Minasian made a reunion with Grichuk happen. Grichuk was drafted by the Angels in 2009, but was traded in 2013 to St. Louis, where he made his major league debut.
“When Taylor had the injury he had, obviously created a sense of urgency for me to get something done and to improve our outfield,” Minasian said before Monday’s game against the Braves at Truist Park. “And first base has been inconsistent all year. Just has. So those were two spots we felt like we could improve.
“I have to give a lot of credit to ownership,” Minasian said. “It was one phone call. It was five minutes. And it was basically ‘Hey, we just had another injury. I believe in this team. I think this team can win. We have to keep adding to it. And that involves adding payroll.’ There was no hesitation. ‘Make the team as good as you can make it,’ [was the response].”
Grichuk played 64 games for the Rockies this season, starting the season on the injured list after undergoing sports hernia surgery. He has been nursing a groin issue that has limited his playing time this month. Grichuk is batting .308 with an .861 on-base-plus-slugging rate.
Cron also is reuniting with the Angels after playing for them from 2014-17. The Angels traded Cron to the Tampa Bay Rays in February 2018 in a deal that ultimately sent Luis Rengifo to Anaheim. Cron gives the Angels another option at first base. He has been limited to 56 games because of back issues and is batting .260 with a .780 OPS.
The Angels are distinctly different from the team they were less than two months ago.
Angels manager Phil Nevin has the team in the thick of a playoff race, but will he guide them to the franchise’s first playoff berth in nearly a decade?
Gio Urshela (pelvis fracture) is out for the season. Anthony Rendon (shin contusion) is out indefinitely. Mike Trout (wrist) could return before the end of August, but he needs to continue feeling well holding a bat before doctors clear him.
Brandon Drury (shoulder bruise) could return as early as Thursday if his rehab assignment with Salt Lake goes well. Zach Neto has been nursing a stiff back, and although he is not on the injured list, he was not in the starting lineup against the Blue Jays, either.
Since the end of June, the Angels have traded for veteran infielders Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas, starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, reliever Reynaldo López, and now Grichuk and Cron.
Nevin is anticipating a seamless transition, the new players fitting right in.
“We got enough guys in here that they’ve all played together before,” Nevin said Monday. “These are teammates of [Moustakas’] all year, both Grich and C.J. were Angels before. A lot of these guys have played together in the minor leagues.
“Plug and play in our lineup and it definitely lengthens it out, what we had earlier in the season.”
At 55-51, the Angels are five games behind first-place Texas in the AL West and four games out of the final AL wild-card spot. They start a three-game series Monday against the Atlanta Braves, who have the best record in the majors at 67-36.
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