Orioles sign Jean Segura to a minor league deal.
The Orioles announced that they had signed infielder Jean Segura to a minor league contract. The veteran has been out of affiliated baseball for over a year, having been released by the Guardians at the beginning of August last year. He might return to Triple-A Norfolk soon, but he could potentially head to another affiliate for a tune-up following his lengthy absence.
It’s a stunning signing that came out of nowhere. Segura has not only not played any official games in the last year, but he has also not been mentioned in any significant offseason rumors, nor does he appear to have participated in any winter or international leagues.
The absence follows his poorest season yet. He hit.219/.277/.279 with a 52 wRC+ in 85 games for the Marlins last season, the first year of a two-year, $17MM contract he signed with the team. He and Kahlil Watson were traded to the Guardians for Josh Bell at the deadline, but the Guards quickly dismissed Segura, implying that his involvement was solely for financial reasons. Until now, no team had signed Segura for the final two months, much alone 2024.
Prior to his disastrous 2023 season, he had a long career as a quality major leaguer. From 2016 to 2022, he appeared in 849 games with the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Phillies.
He hit double-digit home runs in every complete season during that period and stole at least nine bases in each of them. Overall, he hit 84 home runs and slashed.295/.345/.434 for a wRC+ of 107, stealing 109 bases. During that time, he was progressively shifted from shortstop to second base, and he also played some third base, producing 21.9 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.
Whether Segura can manufacture a comeback after his poor 2023 season and extended absence from the game is anyone’s guess, but there’s little real risk for the Orioles in attempting.
The Guardians are still responsible for the last year of his contract, so the Orioles would only have to pay Segura the prorated league minimum for whatever time he spends on their team, which would be deducted from Cleveland’s salary.
Not long ago, the Baltimore infield was characterized by having more talented players than opportunities, but that has altered dramatically in recent weeks. They included Connor Norby in the Trevor Rogers transaction, while Jordan Westburg and Jorge Mateo were placed on the disabled list.
They still have a strong infield mix, albeit third base is maybe less remarkable than the other positions. Ryan O’Hearn and Ryan Mountcastle are sharing first base.
Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson have the middle positions covered. Ramón Urías and Coby Mayo are the current top choices in the hot corner. Mayo was just called up, but his first 15 major league plate appearances have yielded a line of.000/.133/.000. Urías has a better line of.234/.309/.364, but still has a low 95 wRC+. Urías is known for his outstanding defense, but his stats have decreased this year. -3 defensive runs saved and -6 outs over average from third base.
The Orioles may take a hard look at the experienced Segura in the coming weeks to see how he performs. Maybe he can persuade the club’s decision-makers.
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