Grading Rockies MLB Trade Deadline Moves

2. C.J. Cron & Randal Grichuk for Jake Madden and Mason Albright

Late Sunday night, the Rockies made their second move of the year with the Los Angeles Angels and sent veterans C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk back to the team that originally drafted them in 2009 and 2011.

In exchange, the Rockies received two starting pitchers in RHP Jake Madden and LHP Mason Albright.

Mason Albright

Albright was a 12th-round pick for the Angels in 2021 and was ranked as the number eight prospect in the organization. Albright, 20, is currently in the Rockies single A affiliate, Fresno Grizzles. My guess is he will most likely be on the major league roster in three to five years.

So far in his minor league career, he has pitched in a total of 36 games with a 12-8 record a 5.18 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 147.2 innings pitched. Despite having a high ERA, Albright has brought it down in the 2023 season as it currently sits at 3.40. The scouting report on Albright according to MLB.com, says that he is not your typical pitcher as he looks for the feel of pitching rather than relying on raw talent. He has a pitching arsenal of three pitches and currently has a fastball that reaches in the low 90's. With that being said, I would expect to see the velocity increase as he develops into a major-league player. The biggest red flag surrounding him is his command and how much he can control it. The prediction for him is to be a back-end rotation pitcher in the future, potentially a reliever if needed.

Jake Madden

Madden, 21, was a fourth round pick by the Angels in the 2022 MLB draft. Unlike Albright, he has not had a great start to his professional career. Right now, he has pitched in a total of 14 games with a 2-6 record, 5.46 ERA and 66 strikeouts.

He has a total of three pitches that he utilizes which is his fastball, slider and changeup. Madden's change up might be his strongest pitch overall as it can reach into the high 80's and low 90's. His fastball can also reach into the mid-90's. Sam Blum of The Athletic reported that Madden is an excellent pitcher for the Rockies system and he would like to see Colorado turn him into a relief pitcher and see what they can do to get his fastball to reach in the 100's.

Grade: B