The Padres should extend Joe Musgrove

The San Diego Padres have been highly successful so far this season, thanks in large part to their incredible roster of pitchers.

They currently rank second in the NL West division, just one loss behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Without Fernando Tatis Jr. leading the lineup, the key to the Padres’ heavy win column has been the pitching, in particular, Joe Musgrove.

Among a strong roster with a lot of talent, it’d be easy to blend in. Musgrove, however, stands out as a leader in his performance. He consistently shows the Padres why he’s an asset to the team. His 1.90 ERA is the lowest in the rotation, and he’s only allowed 11 earned runs and four homers to the 203 batters he’s faced so far.

To put his numbers into perspective, he’s pitched roughly the same amount of innings as teammates Sean Manaea and Yu Darvish, but both have produced weaker numbers in some areas, particularly ERA and earned runs. Manaea has an ERA of 4.04 and has allowed 22 earned runs and seven homers.

Darvish produced slightly better numbers than Manaea, but nothing close enough to stand out above Musgrove. Darvish has an ERA of 3.91 and 20 earned runs. Though these numbers don’t necessarily hold the Padres back, Musgrove almost guarantees his performance will be impactful every time. He’s provided an unparalleled level of security.

Seemingly, the most comparable pitcher to Musgrove is rookie MacKenzie Gore. His ERA (2.06) is similar and so far, he’s shown the same consistency. Over 582 pitches, he’s produced eight earned runs and 38 strikeouts. However, he doesn’t have enough experience in MLB to truly promise that his numbers will stay consistent. He will need more time to prove he’s as reliable.

The most difficult situation the Padres face in extending Musgrove is creating an offer both parties will agree upon. Recent reports indicate that team has already made an offer at $90 million for eight years, but Musgrove turned it down. He’d be an expensive investment, but he’s proven he’d be a beneficial one. He’s currently the strongest pitcher on the roster, and his value is only going to increase. The Padres want to keep Musgrove, but the real question is if he’s worth more than they’ve offered.

Even though the Padres aren’t lacking in talented pitchers, they’d be at a noticeable loss if they don’t retain Musgrove. His impact is strong enough to stand out above his talented teammates, and he’s emerged as a leader because of that. Even though he may be a heavy investment for the franchise, he’d be worth every penny.