Marlins signing Jean Segura to 2-year deal

Jean Segura is the Marlins’ first major league signing of the 2022-23 offseason, as first reported by Héctor Gómez of Z Deportes. It’s a two-year, $17 million deal for the veteran infielder with an option for 2025, per SportsGrid’s Craig Mish. Segura still needs to complete his physical.

Entering his age-33 season, Segura is a .285/.330/.408 career hitter. In six of the last seven campaigns, he has posted a wRC+ above 100 (better than the MLB average).

Segura was used primarily at second base for the Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to that, he was a shortstop, earning All-Star selections at the position with the 2013 Milwaukee Brewers and 2018 Seattle Mariners. According to Statcast, Segura has one of the strongest arms among qualified second basemen, leaving open the possibility that he could contribute at third base, too.

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Segura spent more than two months on the injured list in 2022 due to a fractured right index finger, but he played in every game of Philadelphia’s World Series run. That was his first-ever trip to the postseason.

The Phillies had control over Segura for 2023 via a $17 million club option. He was hoping to stick around for a fifth season with the franchise and continuing to play in front of their “amazing fans” (h/t Tim Kelly, Phillies Nation). However, they declined the option ($1 million buyout), reallocating those savings toward bringing in Trea Turner.

Segura missed time earlier in his career with various lower-body issues (groin, hamstring and ankle). Nothing severe, though. His 27.7 ft/sec Sprint Speed in 2022 was slightly better than the league average and similar to his historical norms.

Segura consistently hits well against left-handed pitching (.301/.360/.495 in 2022). He directly addresses a huge weakness that the Marlins had on offense last season. Plus, he has plenty of familiarity with LoanDepot Park. In 41 career road games in Miami, he slashed .305/.352/.396 with two home runs and seven stolen bases.

Segura’s contract terms match those of Brandon Drury, who was reportedly a Marlins target prior to choosing to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. The $17 million guarantee is only $1 million shy of what the MLB Trade Rumors predicted for Segura at the beginning of the offseason. Like Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Eury Pérez and several other key players in the Marlins organization, Segura is represented by CAA Sports.

As the Marlins are currently constituted, one of the “losers” of the Segura signing would be Jordan Groshans. I had Groshans squeezing onto the Opening Day roster in my projection earlier this month, but he’d be unable to find significant playing time behind the combination of Segura, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miguel Rojas and Joey Wendle, almost certainly leading to him being optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Of course, there is a long way to go between now and spring training.

The Marlins 40-man roster is currently full, so a corresponding move will be required to make this addition official. Segura will also need to settle on a new uniform number—since 2016, he has worn No. 2, but that is taken by Chisholm.

More updates to come...