Joe Musgrove trade

[Surgnbuck]

Starting individual threads for some of the more notable, and even some of the less notable trades that have occurred during the Ben Cherington regime to date. Though not 100 percent complete, I won't continue down too many rabbit holes, but will list some pertinent info on the players the Pirates got, what happened to them, and what happened to who they traded.

Joe Musgrove- 1/19/2021 Traded to San Diego Padres in a three team deal involving the Pirates, Mets, and Padres. Pirates received C Endy Rodriguez from the Mets; RHP David Bednar, CF Hudson Head, RHP Drake Fellows, and LHP Omar Cruz from the Padres. Mets got LHP Joey Lucchesi from the Padres.

David Bednar is a 2 time All Star and has accumulated 5.0 WAR as a Pirate. Rodriguez appeared in 57 games in 2023 for the Pirates, and has been IL all of 2024, and has 0.2 WAR as a Pirate. Hudson Head is with single A Greensboro in 2024, age 23. Drake Fellows is at AA Altoona for the Pirates, and had been assigned to AAA Indianapolis, but was reassigned back to AA. Omar Cruz is with the El Paso Chihuahas, and I can't find any transaction how he ended up there. Joey Lucchesi has accumulated 1.1 WAR with the Mets and was placed on waivers, unclaimed, and outrighted to Syracuse AAA.

Musgrove came to the Pirates as part of the Gerrit Cole trade. He is 37-24 with a 3.20 ERA, with a 10.9 WAR as a Padre. The Padres signed him to a 5 year, 100 million dollar contract in August 2022. However, injuries limited him to only 17 starts and 97.1 IP in 2023, and injuries limited him in 2024 as well, but he is pitching again, and has logged 99. 2 IP.

Trade grade: A trade that though not a winner, is not a complete bust, due mostly in part to Bednar's contributions. If Rodriguez can recover from injury and be a competent major leaguer AND Bednar can return back to form, this trade becomes less of a loss, if not at least a near push situation for the Padres and Pirates. The Pirates still have Head and Fellows in their systems. One must keep in mind though, for to actually win this trade, the Rodriguez-Bednar-Head-Fellows group needs to pretty much near double Musgrove's contributions to the Padres, as Musgrove is part of the Cole trade, and one must consider that as well. Cole accumulated 11.8 WAR with Houston, so essentially the Pirates need 20 WAR combined from that 4 man group.