Pittsburgh Pirates: Review of the Gerrit Cole Trade

Nearly six years later, let's review the Pirates trading Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros

Aug 28, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Colin Moran (19)
Aug 28, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Colin Moran (19) / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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It's been nearly six years since the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros. Let's take a look back at the trade and what has since transpired for the players involved.

On January 13th, 2018, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Gerrit Cole to the then reigning World Series Champion Houston Astros. In exchange for Cole, the Pirates received relief pitcher Michael Feliz, outfielder Jason Martin, third baseman Colin Moran, and starting pitcher Joe Musgrove.

Feliz struggled in the Pirates' bullpen in 2018 with an ERA of 5.66. In 2019, he started to show why he was a part of the trade, with a 3.99 ERA in 56.1 innings. In 2020, which was the pandemic-shortened season, he pitched 1.2 innings before getting hurt and missing the remainder of the season. In 2021, he pitched in 7.2 solid innings with the Pirates, posting a 2.35 ERA, before getting designated for assignment, and picked up by division rival Cincinnati Reds.

Afterward, he was cut and then signed by the Red Sox and then claimed off waivers by the Athletics. In 2022, he struggled to get MLB time, only pitching 3.1 innings with the Red Sox while with the Twins and Red Sox in the minors. In 2023, he played for the Yankee Triple-A team before getting cut. He has since signed with the Chunichi Dragons of the NPB.

Outfielder Jason Martin

Martin was an outfielder who never got much of a shot in the majors, playing in just 27 games with the Pirates and going 9-45 with 2 RBIs. After the 2020 season, he was granted free agency and signed with the Texas Rangers, who played him in 58 games in 2021.

During that time, he hit 6 home runs and recorded 17 RBIs but struggled with a .208 average and didn't walk enough to make up for the low average. In 2022, with the Dodgers' Triple-A team, he played 129 games and hit 32 home runs with 107 RBIs. While batting .285 and walking 68 times for an on-base percentage of .374. In 2023, he signed with the NC Dinos of the KBO.

In the KBO, he has shown that he can dominate pitchers, hitting 14 home runs with 69 RBIs in 87 games. While batting .301 with an on-base percentage of .378, he has been nothing but impressive. At age 28, an MLB comeback could be possible.

Third baseman Colin Moran

Moran was the second-biggest piece of this trade behind Musgrove. In his four seasons with the Pirates, he hit 10+ home runs a season but never exceptional. He was below-average defensively and was at best a league-average hitter his whole career in Pittsburgh.

Moran played 444 games with the Pirates and had 44 home runs with 211 RBIs. His .269 average and .331 on-base percentage were good, but the Pirates decided to move on from him in favor of Michael Chavis. In 2022, he played with the division-rival Cincinnati Reds but didn't play a full season with them, going up and down in the majors while disappointing with a .211 average.

In 2023, he signed with the Triple-A affiliate of the Mariners before opting out of his contract. Moran still has yet to find another team to sign with since July 10th.

Starting pitcher Joe Musgrove

Musgrove was the key piece of this trade, and while he wasn't overly dominant with the Pirates, it was mostly due to the pitching coach and defense. While he showed so much potential, he was never able to show his dominance with the Pirates.

After getting traded to the Padres, he threw two complete game shutouts, including the first no-hitter in Padres history. Since getting traded, he signed a 5-year/$100 million contract with them, turning his career around and becoming an All-Star in 2022, showing hitters why he was once a top prospect and a key trade piece in the Cole trade.

While the Musgrove trade may prove to be a vital trade in helping to get the Pirates back to competitiveness, that's a story for another day. The Mets received Joey Lucchesi from the Padres, the Pirates received Omar Cruz, Drake Fellows, Hudson Head, and David Bednar from the Padres, and the Mets traded Endy Rodriguez to the Pirates.

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