The Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone and the Phillies made a couple of small moves to their roster.
Adding veteran right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen, and young infielder Rodolfo Castro, were the two moves made by the Phils at the deadline.
While trades have been completed, the team can still make moves, in the way of free agency.
A couple of big league-caliber players are set to be released after the deadline, and Philadelphia could add a former teammate in Jean Segura.
Should the Phillies bring back the fan favorite?
Jean Segura was not re-signed by the Phillies in this past off-season. Segura was let go after four great seasons in Philly, as the team would end up signing Trea Turner to fill Jean’s role in the infield.
The former Phils infielder would sign a 2-year / 17-million-dollar contract with the Miami Marlins, to be their everyday third basemen. The fit never really worked between Segura and the Fish, and he was really struggling to find a role with the team.
On August 1st, just minutes before the end of the trade deadline and a game versus his former team, Jean was dealt to the Cleveland Guardians in a deal for first baseman Josh Bell.
Shortly thereafter, the Guardians released Jean Segura, making him a free agent.
Pros and Cons
Bad News First
There are a couple of hurdles that could prevent a reunion between the Phillies and Jean Segura this season.
The biggest reason is the current roster construction of the team. Edmundo Sosa and Rodolfo Castro are set to be the backup infielders/utilitymen. While Edmundo has had a down year, he does still provide good depth. Philadelphia traded for Castro, meaning they will give him every opportunity to make an impact with the team.
With the infield spots somewhat locked up, the Phillies would have to send down an outfielder to make room for Segura. This means that either Jake Cave or Johan Rojas would be sent back to the minors. Edmundo Sosa did try out centerfield in Spring Training, but they seemed to abandon that idea very early this season. With that being said, it doesn’t feel like a likely move for the Phillies to make.
The other issue with potentially resigning Jean Segura would be his quality of play this season.
Jean took a step back in Miami, hitting just .219 on the year. For reference, he hit .277 last season with Philadelphia.
Segura’s OPS is 167 points lower in 2023 than it was in 2022. He dropped from a .723 with the Phillies to a .556 with Miami. He never got comfortable with his new situation and it really affected his overall play.
Mr. Bright Side
Adding Segura could still be a good move for the Phillies.
Jean was beloved by his teammates and the fan base, an easy player to root for, and a contributing member of the NL Championship team last season. Jean was a sparkplug for this team, something I feel has been missing at times in 2023.
Segura might just need that spark from his former teammates to get his bat going again. Jean can come off the bench in a pinch-hitting role and play second, short, and third in a pinch. I feel as though he would welcome the role and I think there would be interest in returning to Philly.
Would Jean take a minor league deal with the Phillies? If he spent a couple of weeks in Lehigh Valley, they would be able to activate him in September when the rosters expand. This could be an option for David Dombrowski to explore.
At the very least, it would be a low-risk, high-reward kind of move by Philly. We shall see what the future holds for the former Phils’ infielder.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke
