After sources reported that Gerrit Cole was traded to the Houston Astros on Wednesday, it appears the trade is done today. According to multiple sources, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove and third baseman Colin Moran from the Astros for Cole. Moran is the 5th best prospect for the Astros according to MLB Pipeline, while the 25-year-old Musgrove has two seasons of big league experience, splitting his time between starting and relief. Jon Heyman is reporting that there could be more in the deal for the Pirates, though no details yet except he believes two more names are to be announced. Heyman notes that Musgrove and Moran are believed to be the biggest pieces. More on this shortly.
https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/952318954160050177
Rosenthal confirms
Source confirms: Colin Moran headed from #Astros to #Pirates. Joe Musgrove also in deal, per @TBrownYahoo.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 13, 2018
While we wait for the final two names, here’s some info on Moran and Musgrove.
Moran had two brief trials with the Astros during each of the last two years. He was actually covered here often during the 2013 draft coverage. Moran is likely the top option for the Pirates at third base right now. He is considered to be Major League ready after putting up a .916 OPS in 79 games at Triple-A (PCL-inflated numbers). His defense is average, with mediocre range, but good hands and a strong arm. He’s a below average runner, but his real value is in the bat, where he should get on base often and reach double digits in homers.
Ken Rosenthal just added 24-year-old relief pitcher Michael Feliz to the trade, so I’ll post more on Musgrove in a few. Feliz has pitched three seasons in the majors, posting a 5.13 ERA in 121 innings with an amazing 172 strikeouts. He’s a fastball/slider pitcher, who averaged 96.6 MPH on his fastball this past season.
Source: RHP Michael Feliz also heading to the #Pirates in the Cole trade, along with Moran and Musgrove.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 13, 2018
Back to the players involved while we wait for the final name. Musgrove has just over a year of service time in the majors, so he looks like he could be part of the pitching staff for the next five years if all works out well. Before losing his prospect status in 2016, Baseball America had him as the 86th best prospect in baseball. He commands a low-90s fastball with movement, making it a plus pitch. He also has a slider and a changeup that are considered average pitches. He has a 4.52 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in 171 big league innings, with a 1.28 WHIP and 153 strikeouts.
Ken Rosenthal just said that Astros #15 prospect outfielder Jason Martin is the fourth player, so I’ll stop here again before adding more info.
Source: Outfielder Jason Martin is fourth player heading from #Astros to #Pirates for Gerrit Cole, along with Colin Moran, Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 13, 2018
Jason Martin is the only player they acquired who isn’t on the 40-man roster, so there is going to be some moves to make room. Pirates have a full 40-man roster right now, so either two DFA’s or another trade is coming up.
Martin is a 22-year-old lefty hitting outfielder with Double-A experience. His best tool is considered to be his running (above average), while his defense/hitting are average and both his arm and power are slightly below average. He has split his time between left field and center field evenly during his pro career, which began back in 2013 when he was drafted out of high school in the eighth round. He had a solid season in 2017, posting an .819 OPS between High-A and Double-A, though his 39:124 BB/SO ratio leaves a little to be desired. Despite the speed, he has not been a very successful base stealer, going 74-for-128 over the years.
The Pirates have announced the deal as official: Cole for Colin Moran, Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz and Jason Martin. Still more to come.
I missed this while trying to get everything into the article and edit it at the same time. Moran missed two months with a facial injury after a collision, so his brief MLB time was only brief due to the injury this year. He returned fine in September and got in some late at-bats with the Astros.
Tim Williams will have thoughts on the entire deal later tonight.
