Philadelphia Phillies: Three reactions to Jean Segura trade
By Jake Starr
The Philadelphia Phillies have completed their first big move of the offseason, trading for Jean Segura. Here are three reactions to that deal.
The stove is officially hot! In an offseason where the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to upgrade their roster substantially, they went out and made their first move of the 2018 off-season. On Monday, the Phillies officially acquired Jean Segura from the Seattle Mariners.
In return for Segura, the Phillies are sending back shortstop prospect JP Crawford and first basemen Carlos Santana. There are also some other names involved in the deal, but those have not been revealed as of Monday afternoon.
Segura, Santana, and Crawford are the centerpieces of this deal, and all three will have large roles with their new teams. Seattle is in the process of unloading their roster as they prepare for what appears to be a major rebuild in 2019.
There are still minor hurdles to clear (review of medicals and Jean Segura officially waiving no-trade clause) but Phillies-Mariners deal is expected to get done. JP Crawford and Carlos Santana will go to SEA. I believe Phils could also get a pitcher or two back in deal
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) December 3, 2018
In this trade, the Phillies are getting a major upgrade at shortstop. Segura, at 28-years old, is in the prime of his career and is a true two-way player. He gives the Phillies an upgrade defensively, and a reliable bat that has hit over .300 for three straight seasons.
This is the first, but hopefully not the last of many moves the Phillies will make this offseason. John Middleton has made it clear that he is willing to spend a lot of money this offseason. So, it is still entirely possible to have an infield of Segura and Manny Machado, and possibly still add some other big names this winter.
So what does this deal mean for the Phillies and the players involved? Let’s take a look at three thoughts we have surrounding this blockbuster deal!