Philadelphia Phillies: 3 free agents who won’t be back in 2023 and why
By Tim Boyle
2. Phillies need to move on from Jean Segura
There is a much stronger case to bring back Jean Segura. Since joining the team, he has been the club’s starting shortstop, third baseman, and now second baseman. It’s a quality about him that has gone somewhat overlooked. The flexibility to start him at multiple infield positions has allowed Philadelphia a chance to experiment with other players. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out for many of them.
Despite how frustrating he can be at times, Segura has been one of the team’s most consistent hitters. He hits for a good average, reaches base often, and supplies them with some good-old-fashioned-American speed on the bases. Why not bring him back?
For one reason, the $17 million team option for next season is a lot. He’ll be 33 and it might only be a matter of time before his career crashes. Let’s see what he can give them for the rest of 2022 and be thankful for it.
More importantly, it’s the other options the Phillies have. They need to go big in the shortstop market. Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, or anyone else that could be a star upgrade at the position is a must. For rookie Bryson Stott, this means a move to second base.
Turner would be the ideal fit for the Phillies and given his age compared to Stott, the two could always end up swapping spots at some point. Whatever it is, the Phillies shouldn’t bring the band completely back together next year. Get younger. Get better. Land a star bat and a great leadoff hitter.