The Phillies continue to be one of MLB’s most active teams this winter. Adding Jean Segura will give Philadelphia a big boost, but did they overpay Seattle?
Manny Machado may still be a target for the Phillies, but they no longer need the superstar free agent to play shortstop. Philadelphia now has Jean Segura to fill that spot in their infield.
The Mariners plan to send Segura, James Pazos and Juan Nicasio to the Phillies in exchange for Carlos Santana and J.P Crawford. For the most part, this transaction is another example of the Mariners working to restock their roster with young talent. Santana doesn’t fit into Seattle’s competitive timeline, but he’s largely being included to give the Phillies some salary relief.
Crawford, in sharp contrast, will be expected to step into Segura’s starting role immediately. He still had plenty of admirers in the Phillies organization, but he’s not the player Segura is currently. That made the swap attractive for a Philadelphia team that clearly wants to contend in 2019.
As always, we’re here to grade the deal for you. Read on to see how each team did in their quest to move in very different directions ahead of next season.
Phillies Get
Jean Segura, James Pazos and Juan Nicasio
Mariners Get
J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana
Philadelphia Phillies
It’s really hard not to like this deal from the Phillies’ perspective. Yes, J.P. Crawford has star potential, but Philadelphia is acquiring a borderline All-Star shortstop in their prime to fill that hole in the roster.
Segura hit .304 last season in Seattle and provided his team a healthy WAR of 4.3. At 28-years-old, there’s no reason to think his performance is going to dip anytime soon. Some might view the five-year, $70 million deal he signed back in 2017 as a potential negative, but he has a solid chance to retain good value throughout the course of the deal.
The addition of Pazos in the deal could also help Philadelphia win an extra game or two next season. At the very least, he gives the Phillies an adequate left hander out of the bullpen. Nicasio doesn’t do much for the team, but getting two really good assets represents a great haul for the organization.
Grade: A
Seattle Mariners
We fully support the Mariners’ efforts to reset their roster, but they simply didn’t get enough value back in this deal. Their scouts clearly think J.P. Crawford has superstar potential. If he doesn’t drastically outperform Segura in the next five years this deal is going to look really bad for Seattle.
Santana is still a decent hitter, but at 32 years of age he’s a terrible fit for Seattle’s timeline. The best the Mariners can hope for is to move the first baseman for another quality asset in a subsequent move. It’s hard to see how he represents any real value for a team trying desperately to rebuild.
We’re relatively high on Crawford’s potential, but the chances of him becoming a better player than Segura aren’t anywhere over 50%. The Mariners should have done better in any deal giving Segura up. They were fleeced by the Phillies in this one.