Phillies trade rumors: Team interested in Mariners shortstop and closer
By John Town
The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly interested making a deal to acquire Mariners shortstop Jean Segura and closer Edwin Diaz.
The Mariners began their sell-off earlier this week when they traded starting pitcher James Paxton to the Yankees Monday. They reportedly aren’t done making deals, and the Phillies could become a trade partner.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that the Phils are among several teams interested in Mariners shortstop Jean Segura and closer Edwin Diaz. The Yankees and Padres also have interest in Segura while the Braves are also in the hunt for Diaz.
Segura would be another option if Manny Machado doesn’t wind up in Philadelphia. He was an All-Star this season, posting a .304/.341/.415 line with a 112 OPS+, 20 stolen bases, 5.1% walk rate, and 10.9% strikeout rate in 144 games. He showed adept defense at shortstop with five defensive runs saved.
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Segura is still quite cheap for his level of production; he is owed $14.85 million each year over the next four seasons with a $17 million team option in 2023 when he will be 33 years old. Segura, who will turn 29 during spring training next year, will be much cheaper than Machado.
The biggest hurdle to a trade for Segura will be his no-trade clause. If he wants to stay in Seattle, there is nothing he could do about it. On the other hand, he may see the writing on the wall and decide to play for a team looking to contend next year.
Diaz burst onto the scene this year, leading the majors with 65 games finished and 57 saves.
He had a 1.96 ERA, 1.61 fielding-independent pitching, 15.2 strikeouts per nine innings, and 2.1 walks per nine in 73 appearances. He was worth 3.5 Fangraphs wins above replacement, second-most of all relievers this season.
Diaz would be a huge upgrade to the bullpen, but it would likely come at a high price. He isn’t arbitration-eligible until next offseason and won’t hit free agency until 2023. The Mariners likely view him as a potential building block in the bullpen but would be willing to part with him if Philadelphia or anyone else offers enough prospects in return.
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Segura and Diaz would be worthy additions to the Phillies, but they wouldn’t come cheap in a trade. They would need to part with some of the better names in their system to acquire them.