The Musgrove contract is good for both sides. He really prefers pitching in Petco Park, he loves San Diego and he loves the future of his team for the next 3-4 years. The Padres get a good deal as well, on the market he gets 15 million more, but he likely wouldn’t be where he is comfortable. Money is important, but so is quality of life. Musgrove sacrificed a little bit of money but he is smart IMO. It’s easy for an agent to say to go to whatever team pays the most… the agent doesn’t have to live in the new city, doesn’t have to adapt to a new team that he may not like and he doesn’t have to move his family.
Astros equivalent would’ve been something like Hunter Brown, Pedro Leon, Colin Barber, and Forrest Whitley. Too rich for 1.5 seasons of a guy who is probably more #2 than #1.
Mariners also just traded one of- if not THE- top SS prospect in the game in Marte. For what possibly could be a year and a half of Castillo. they’re going for it. But they mortgaged a huge future asset in doing so