The Los Angeles Angels bolstered their lineup in a trade with the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, acquiring infielder C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk along with cash considerations for minor league LHP Mason Albright and RHP Jake Madden.
Cron, 33, has appeared in 56 games with the Rockies this season, batting .260 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs. He has spent time on the injured list this summer because of back spasms, returning to the lineup in late June. Cron hit 57 home runs and drove in 194 runs across 2021 and 2022, emerging as one of the Rockies best hitters.
Grichuk, 31, has appeared in 64 games, batting .308 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs. Both players were original draft picks of the Angels, Cron in 2011 and Grichuk in 2009.
The Texas Rangers further fortified themselves for a championship run Sunday, acquiring left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals one day after finalizing a deal for ace Max Scherzer.
With the best offense in baseball, the Rangers tapped into their plentiful minor league system, sending two top prospects — infielder Thomas Saggese and right-hander Tekoah Roby — along with left-handed reliever John King to St. Louis.
While the cost was heavy, the 30-year-old Montgomery was one of the prizes of this deadline season, and adding him and Scherzer not only changes the Rangers’ expected playoff rotation but protects them with right-hander Nathan Eovaldi hitting the injured list Sunday with forearm tightness.
Montgomery, who is a free agent this winter, was 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA, 108 strikeouts and 35 walks over 121 innings with St. Louis. Acquired last year at the deadline from the New York Yankees for center fielder Harrison Bader, Montgomery was the Cardinals’ best starter this season and drew interest from numerous teams before landing in Texas.
Stratton, 32, adds to the Rangers’ bullpen depth, which they augmented already in June with the acquisition of left-hander Aroldis Chapman. In 53⅔ innings, the fifth most of any reliever in baseball this season, Stratton sported a 4.36 ERA, though his underlying metrics suggest that he has been unlucky and could see positive regression.