
The Pittsburgh Pirates did well
All in all, it appears the Pittsburgh Pirates did well in the Musgrove trade. Musgrove is set to hit free agency following the 2022 season and was not going to re-sign with the Pirates. The Padres failing to make the postseason despite being a preseason NL favorite should be a factor here as well.
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded a pitcher who was closing in on a free agency, during a time where the team was not going to compete, for a quartet of quality players. This includes a potential dominant All-Star reliever, a plus MLB hitter in Rodriguez and Head who could be a big building block.
In the long run the Musgrove trade could prove to be one of general manager Ben Cherington’s best. This is something that will not be able to truly be graded for a few years, but things look good for the Pirates right now.