SAN DIEGO — One afternoon last summer, a dozen starts into his Padres career, Joe Musgrove leaned against the dugout railing at Coors Field as he recalled one of the darkest times in his life.
He smiled. He also was remembering a surprising source of support.
When Musgrove was 15 years old, his father contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome. Mark Musgrove’s immune system attacked his nerves, paralyzing him. He spent months in the hospital, then months immobilized at home.
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It was a prolonged period of uncertainty. Joe Musgrove, the youngest member of the family, matured and struggled through much of it. At home, he and his sisters helped their mother take care of their father. Elsewhere, his focus wavered. In school, his grades slipped.
“I think I was just mentally in a weird spot because I didn’t know if my dad was going to come out of it,” Musgrove said. “He was pretty sick for a while.”
One day, a letter arrived at their El Cajon, Calif., residence. It was from San Diego State University, inviting Musgrove to visit the school’s campus. Musgrove accepted. A talented baseball player at nearby Grossmont High, he thought he would look around and talk with a few coaches.
Soon, unexpectedly, he found himself face to face with one of his heroes.
Tony Gwynn, San Diego State’s head baseball coach, had seen Musgrove’s talent but also his GPA. Academic eligibility would be an issue. Gwynn asked what was going on. Musgrove explained the situation with his father.
In Gwynn, he found empathy and encouragement.
“When you’re ineligible, a lot of schools are going to give up on you,” Musgrove said.
Gwynn didn’t. Urged by his dad and others, Musgrove eventually got his grades in line. Mark Musgrove’s condition eventually improved. Along the way, Gwynn and San Diego State made an appealing proposal.
“Not only getting to be recruited by him but seeing that he was a good enough person to still offer me that full-ride contract when I was at kind of a low point was really special,” Joe Musgrove said.
In the end, Musgrove bypassed college after he was drafted higher than expected. He signed with the Blue Jays as a first-round pick. He went on to pitch for the Astros and the Pirates, showing flashes of putting it all together.
Before the 2021 season, he was traded to the team synonymous with Gwynn. Then, with the Padres, he began to put it all together. Musgrove returned home to San Diego, threw the franchise’s first no-hitter in his second start and wore No. 44 in honor of Jake Peavy.
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That day last summer, he remembered what Gwynn had once expressed to him.
“He always told me that your family should always come first in whatever you do, that what I was going through was not easy at my age, but the things that I was going through — not as a baseball player but as a man growing up and trying to mature — was something that he valued extremely,” Musgrove said. “He was a guy that I was able to reach out to throughout my high school career if I had questions about stuff. Baseball, life, anything. He was always there for me.”
As San Diego State’s head baseball coach, Padres great Tony Gwynn recruited Joe Musgrove before the pitcher was drafted and signed by the Blue Jays. (Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press)‘He deserves it’
Late Friday, after a 10-1 win over the Twins, Musgrove stood in front of his locker at Petco Park and faced the latest round of questions about his future. The right-hander is nearing a contract extension with the Padres, sources told The Athletic. The deal, expected to be for five years and $100 million, had not been finalized, but Musgrove acknowledged the two sides were closer than ever.
It had taken a few months of haggling, but a long-term relationship was always the shared hope.
“When I first came here, just the idea of staying in San Diego was enough for me, just being able to play in my hometown with my family here, my friends, get to experience all the things that I dreamed of as a kid and get to live that out,” said Musgrove, 29. “But the longer I’ve spent here, it’s become more about the people that are in the room and the staff and the growth that I’m making here and the strides that I’m making with (pitching coach) Ruben (Niebla).”
Musgrove mentioned franchise third baseman Manny Machado and franchise shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Machado is signed through 2028. Tatis is signed through 2034. The infielders are two of baseball’s biggest stars.
“The idea of getting to be next to Machado and Tatis for the next five-plus years is something that was extremely appealing to me,” Musgrove said. “I look at leadership qualities and things that would be expected of me should I get the deal done here, I don’t think there’s anybody better to learn from than them.”
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Machado signed with the Padres for 10 years and $300 million in 2019, and briefly held the record for the largest contract in North American sports. Tatis is in the second year of a 14-year, $340 million extension, the longest deal in major-league history. The Padres have never given a pitcher a contract worth more than the $75 million that James Shields received in 2015. Soon, Musgrove will top that.
Still, he might be agreeing to a hometown discount, something Gwynn did multiple times during his Hall of Fame career. Musgrove likely could secure more money by waiting three more months and exploring free agency. But it is difficult to put a price on some things. In San Diego, he is among family.
“It’s not so much the daily interactions with them as much as it is, you know, being close with anything that pops up — injuries, health issues. I’m only a 30-minute drive away from going to see my grandparents or see my parents or anything like that,” Musgrove said. “Obviously, the relationship is a lot easier when I’m able to be home and see my girlfriend often, and all the things are going really well with me being home.”
Things are going well elsewhere, too. Musgrove, who will pitch Saturday, has a career-best 2.63 ERA through 17 starts. He went to his first All-Star Game this month. He has emerged as an ideal franchise and city ambassador. Like the late Gwynn, Musgrove is the inspiration behind a popular local beer. In this town, he may never have to pay for another drink.
“Hometown guys who perform like he does, they’re fan favorites,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said.
Inside the clubhouse, Musgrove has established himself as a respected leader. On Friday night, Melvin spoke glowingly about his most reliable starting pitcher and the prospect of an extension.
“I would love to see it and so would everybody in that room,” Melvin said. “He’s become that guy for us where it would be welcome, you know, to not only us and the players but certainly the city as well.”
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An extension does not change the outlook for the rest of this season. The Padres are pushing for their first full-season playoff berth since 2006. Their roster is clearly flawed, and the front office is pursuing Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, who could team with Machado and Tatis to give San Diego an exceptional trio of hitters.
But retaining Musgrove beyond this season is critical for the franchise. Only two other starters, Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, are under contract for 2023. Nick Martinez has a player option. Rookie MacKenzie Gore is on the injured list with what the team diagnosed as a “low-grade” elbow strain. Maybe he returns to pitch in September. Maybe the Padres play it safer, hoping to get more out of him next year. A minor elbow injury can turn into something far worse.
Musgrove, meanwhile, is ready to keep pushing. If the regular season ended today and the Padres needed a Game 1 starter, he would be the choice because he has earned it. He has earned something else, too.
“You don’t see a lot of guys sign a long-term deal with their hometown team, so I’m really happy for him,” said Padres designated hitter Luke Voit, a Missouri native who broke into the majors with the Cardinals. “He deserves it, man.”
(Top photo of Joe Musgrove: Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
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