Pittsburgh Pirates Rumors: Joe Musgrove Most Likely to be Traded

With the offseason starting to heat up, more and more rumors are going to start to come out.  For the Pittsburgh Pirates, the rumors could center around one pitcher.

This past season was a tough one for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  By the Trade Deadline, the team was in a position to sell, as they were battling for the worst record in baseball.  When it comes to the trade deadline, there is no busier time for the MLB Hot Stove.  While the Pittsburgh Pirates remained silent on the trade front, there were plenty of rumors around their roster.

The most notable player whose name surfaced in rumors was starter Joe Musgrove.  At the time, Robert Murray, who is now with FanSided, reported that the Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates came very close to a deal for the veteran starter.  However, it did not appear likely to happen because Musgrove was literally just coming off of the Injured List.  With Musgrove having two more years of team control, it made sense for Ben Cherington to want to reassess in the offseason.

Now with the offseason being about a month in, it has already been reported that there is interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers, including Steven Brault.  Of the starters, Musgrove would fetch the most in a trade and with a rising arbitration cost, it would make sense for a team building towards the future.

However, with two years of control left the Pittsburgh Pirates are not necessarily backed into a corner with Musgrove.  They could always look to extend him if they believe he can be had at the right price.  Still, with where the Bucs are talent wise, that may not make the most sense.  In fact, Rob Biertempfel, the Pittsburgh Pirates writer at The Athletic, believes that Musgrove will be traded this offseason.  Biertempfel wrote in a recent column:

"“I also think it’s more likely than not that they will trade him, regardless of his contract status.”"

Biertempfel also notes that the Pittsburgh Pirates could pursue an extension with Musgrove.  But, he also is an insider with the Bucs and likely is getting the feeling from the team that they will look to move him.  Why? What it comes down to is the Bucs are not going to be true contenders until 2023 (the most optimistic), and the prospects that Musgrove will bring back in a trade will help this team when they are truly in contention.

Musgrove should bring back quite a haul.  He has plenty of value as outlined above.  Also, he finished the season with some of the best numbers of his career and many believe we saw his true potential unlocked some in September.  Coming back, the Bucs should be able to land a package of three to four prospects including a 50 grade, a 45 grade, and more.  In terms of rankings, this would equate to a top five prospect, a top 10 prospect, and additional backend pieces.