The Padres acquired starting pitcher Joe Musgrove from the Pirates in a three-team trade on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Pittsburgh will receive prospects Hudson Head, David Bednar, Omar Cruz and Drake Fellows from the Padres as well as Mets prospect Endy Rodriguez, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. San Diego pitcher Joey Lucchesi will reportedly go to New York in Monday’s deal.
Musgrove posted a career-best 3.86 ERA in eight starts last season. He sports a 4.33 ERA in 83 career starts, striking out 465 batters in 496 2/3 innings dating back to 2016. Musgrove now joins Yu Darvish and Blake Snell in San Diego’s rotation as the Padres continue their offseason spending spree.
Head is the most notable prospect heading to Pittsburgh. He was listed as the No. 7 prospect in the Padres’ minor league system, coming to San Diego as a third-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Cruz previously sat No. 17 on the Padres’ prospect list, three spots ahead of Bednar.
The Padres’ offseason acquisitions signal a push for the franchise’s first NL West crown since 2006 in 2021. The Dodgers have won the division in each of the last eight seasons, winning their first World Series since 1988 last season.
