The Los Angeles Angels have made a big move to bolster their lineup for the 2021 season, trading for C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk from the Colorado Rockies. In exchange, the Angels received two minor leaguers, outfielder Chris Rodriguez and infielder Jose Gomez.
Cron is a veteran first baseman who has been in the majors since 2014. He has a career batting average of .257 and an OPS of .788. He has also hit 20 or more home runs in three of his seven seasons in the majors. Cron is expected to provide a much-needed power boost to the Angels’ lineup.
Grichuk is a veteran outfielder who has been in the majors since 2014. He has a career batting average of .240 and an OPS of .764. He has also hit 20 or more home runs in four of his seven seasons in the majors. Grichuk is expected to provide a solid bat and good defense in the outfield for the Angels.
The two minor leaguers the Angels received in the trade are both highly regarded prospects. Rodriguez is a 21-year-old outfielder who was ranked as the Rockies’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He hit .316 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs in 2019 at Single-A Asheville. Gomez is a 19-year-old infielder who was ranked as the Rockies’ No. 11 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He hit .319 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 2019 at Rookie-level Grand Junction.
The Angels have made a big move to improve their lineup for 2021, trading for two veterans in Cron and Grichuk. In exchange, they received two highly regarded minor leaguers in Rodriguez and Gomez. It remains to be seen how this trade will pan out for the Angels, but it certainly looks like they have improved their team for 2021.