San Diego generously spent a lot of money to win the World Series and change the perception of the National League West. Although the fielders get a lot of attention, the truth is that they spend a lot of money on the mound.메이저놀이터
From last year to the point ahead of this season, San Diego tied up players by extending contracts with the team’s key starting pitchers in turn. In the middle of last year’s season, he signed right-hander Joe Musgrove (31) for five years and a total of 100 million dollars (approximately 131 billion won). And ahead of this season, he signed a new contract with Darvish Yu (37) for a total of 108 million dollars (about 141.5 billion won) over 6 years. The amount to be given to the two players over the next five to six years, including this year, amounts to 272.5 billion won in our money.
Musgrove, who was acquired by trade from Pittsburgh ahead of the 2021 season, achieved good results with an ERA of 11-9 and an average ERA of 3.18 in 32 games in 2021, which was his first season in San Diego. A historic no-hitter game was also included. Let’s continue the good performance enough to be selected as an All-Star in the first half of 2022, and San Diego chose to tie Musgrove before going out to the free agent market.
Darvish, who was also acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, also performed well enough to buy San Diego’s confidence. From 2021 to last year, he recorded 24 wins and 19 losses with an average ERA of 3.61 in 60 games for two years, and last year he won 16 wins and even played the part of the team ace. Then, San Diego bet another six years on Darvish, who had one year left on the contract. There was also a strategy to lower the team’s luxury tax burden.
San Diego expected the two players to lead the mound with the team’s one-two punch. Expectations were high for the two players as a powerful ace one-two punch is required to win the World Series. Darvish was a proven pitcher, and he confirmed right next to him that his body was healthy even in his mid-30s. Musgrove, still in his early 30s, now knows his pitching and throws well enough to feel like he’s throwing.
Unfortunately, in the first year of the contract period, both players are sluggish. It’s still early in the season, but in terms of ERA alone, it’s one of the worst in his personal career.
Musgrove is 3-2 with a 4.71 ERA in 36⅓ innings in 7 games this season. He has been showing a little bit of improvement lately, but the start of the season wasn’t too good. He’s been injured and he’s missed a period early in the season. As a member of Houston, he has his worst earned run average since posting a 4.77 earned run average in 2017.
Looking at batting speed, etc., there was obviously bad luck, but the fact that the hit rate jumped from 0.213 in 2021 and 0.227 in 2022 to 0.262 this year is a worrying factor. The strikeout rate decreased, and the walk rate increased. Detailed indicators are obviously not better than last year.
Darvish is also sluggish with an average ERA of 4.61 with 3 wins and 4 losses in 10 games of the season. Darvish is showing the contents of the game with severe ups and downs overall. Darvish’s OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) rose significantly from 0.587 last year to 0.743. In fact, he is in his late 30s, so his sluggish performance in the first season could act as a burden on the team in the future.
In order for San Diego to hit and rise, the batting line needs to wake up, but the most important thing is to win when the two players go out. San Diego barely passed 50% with 4 wins and 3 losses when Musgrove took the mound, and only 4 wins and 6 losses in 10 games Darvish started. Last year, he went 19-11 at Musgrove and 18-12 at Darvish, with a total of 37 wins and 23 losses (.617). This year, he needs to achieve this level to surpass the Los Angeles Dodgers.