Padres' Musgrove: I 'don't feel great' wearing Astros' 2017 WS ring

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove already has a World Series championship to his name, but he doesn't like to boast about it.

Musgrove said he considers his 2017 World Series title with the Houston Astros tainted due to the electronic sign-stealing scandal that later embroiled the team.

"I still don't feel great about wearing that ring around or telling people that I was a World Series champion on that team," he told Bernie Wilson of The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I want one that feels earned and that was a true championship. So that's the goal."

Musgrove was a second-year swingman on the Astros' championship club, posting a 4.77 ERA with 98 strikeouts that season. He also recorded an 8.10 ERA in seven relief appearances during that year's playoffs, including four innings in the World Series.

A few months after the win, Houston traded Musgrove to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a package for Gerrit Cole.

The 2017 Astros were later found to have stolen signs from opponents using illegal cameras and garbage cans to relay pitches to hitters. Following an investigation, MLB suspended manager A.J. Hinch, general manager Jeff Luhnow, and bench coach Alex Cora (who by that time was managing the Boston Red Sox). Houston subsequently fired Hinch and Luhnow.

MLB didn't discipline any active players. However, the New York Mets parted ways with manager Carlos Beltran, who had a central role in the scheme during his final season as a player.

The Padres acquired Musgrove, who grew up near Petco Park, from Pittsburgh before the 2021 season. He threw the franchise's first no-hitter in his second start with the club and signed a five-year, $100-million extension this summer.

The 29-year-old helped San Diego to just its second playoff berth since 2006 with a brilliant 2022 season, posting a career-best 2.93 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, along with 184 strikeouts in 30 starts.