4 Angels moves from 2023 that didn't work out as planned

4) The C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk trade was almost as bad as the Giolito deal for the LA Angels

Due to the Angels having so many injuries, Perry Minasian had to continue acquiring as much depth as he possibly could. First he acquired Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas in June, and his latest depth deal was bringing C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk back to the organization that drafted them.

Cron was brought in to play first base and was one of the hottest hitters in baseball when the Angels acquired him. Unfortunately, he cooled down instantly after the Angels re-acquired him, and he posted a .563 OPS in 14 games before landing on the IL. He'd return for one game in September, fail to record a hit, and then go right back on the IL ending his season.

Grichuk has made more of an impact, but when the Angels really needed him, he was dreadful. He was brought in to be the Taylor Ward replacement, but hit just .140 with a .470 OPS in 26 games before being placed on waivers. His OPS in that span with the Angels was nearly 400 points lower than his season OPS with the Rockies.

The veteran outfielder has played much better since being placed on waivers and going unclaimed, but that's been in meaningless games. The Angels have been out of it all month. When they really needed him and Cron to produce, the two veterans did not come close to being productive.