The rebuild continued in Seattle Monday as the Mariners agreed to send SS Jean Segura, RHP Juan Nicasio, and LHP James Pazos to the Philadelphia Phillies. In return, they will receive SS J.P. Crawford and veteran INF Carlos Santana.
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Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Jean Segura in Blockbuster Trade
Phillies Reasoning
In acquiring Segura, the Phillies upgrade a position that vexed them throughout the 2018 season. Highly regarded young players like Crawford and Scott Kingery failed to live up to their previous billing. Overall, the Phillies recorded the worst WAR production (-3.6 per Baseball-Reference) at the position in 2018.
Segura was worth 4.3 bWAR this past season and hit .304/.341/.415 with 10 home runs and 20 steals despite a pedestrian second half (.270/.319/.340 with three home runs and six steals). Pazos (2.88 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 50 IP) and Nicasio (6.00 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 42 IP) give Gabe Kapler two more options for his bullpen, though the latter will need to find his form after an injury-ridden 2018.
Mariners Reasoning
The Mariners hope a change of scenery will help Crawford live up to the promise that caused him to rank among the Top 20 prospects in baseball for the last four seasons. GM Jerry Dipoto sees him as an integral piece moving forward, describing him as “athletic” and noting his all-around ability to impact a game.
In Santana, the Mariners take back some of Segura’s salary figure while adding a replacement for the likely departed Nelson Cruz. Santana’s 24 home runs and high OBP (.352 in 2018) are a nice addition to the Mariners lineup, even if they do not fully replace Cruz’s production.
Verdict
The Mariners save $31.5 million dollars in future salary considerations by agreeing to this deal. While Crawford and Santana both come with question marks attached, this deal makes sense given the Mariner’s desire to retool as they work to compete in 2020-2021. Adding Segura to the fold makes the Phillies better for 2019 and is a solid start to an expected wild off-season in Philadelphia.
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