Back in 2018, the Phillies had a very busy offseason. Most notably, this season, the Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a 13 year $330 million deal. The Phillies were finally looking to turn the page and start competing in the National League. One of the big moves that the Phillies made is when they traded for infielder, Jean Segura, from the Seattle Mariners. Segura was coming off one of his best seasons in the major leagues and was an All-Star in 2017.
When the Phillies made this move it was a good sign for things to come, knowing that finally, this franchise was ready to start competing in the National League.
Who Won?
Looking back on this deal now, this was a win for both teams. They both got what they needed in order to help their franchises. For the Mariners, in the deal, they inquired shortstop, J.P Crawford, and first baseman Carlos Santana from the Phillies. The real selling point of this deal was Crawford. He was known as a young prospect who had a lot of potential at the middle infield position. During his time in Philadelphia, Crawford didn’t necessarily play that great, so they decided to trade him. In 2021, Crawford played his first full season in the majors by playing a total of 160 games.
And his stats aren’t that bad. He posted a .273 batting average, .338 on-base percentage, .376 slugging percentage, 9 home runs, 54 RBI’s. Crawford, who is only 26, maybe start to hit his stride in his MLB career, only time will tell, however, this is the best he has played in his career so far so hopefully, he improves.
In addition to J.P Crawford, the Mariners also acquired first baseman Carlos Santana in this deal. His time in Seattle was very short-lived, as they traded away Carlos Santana, to acquire Edwin Encarnacion from the Cleveland Indians in a 3 team trade. And even then, Encarnacion didn’t last a full season in Seattle as that same season, he was traded to the Yankees, for the young prospect, Juan Then, who at the time was the number 27 ranked prospect in the Yankees farm system.
The Mariners were rebuilding at the time, so they really didn’t have a need for players like Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion who are older and have more expensive contracts. This way, the Mariners can focus on their young prospects while not having to worry about super expensive contracts.
On the other side of this trade is the Phillies acquiring Jean Segura. Segura has become almost a fan favorite in Philadelphia. Even though he hasn’t been to an All-Star game or helped the Phillies win a playoff game, fans love the energy he brings to the team. He is quite good when he is at the plate and when he is in the field. In 2021, Segura had his best season as a member of the Phillies.
He posted a .290 batting average, an on-base percentage of .348, a slugging percentage of .436, 14 home runs, and 58 RBI’s. Segura is also known as a guy who doesn’t strike out a whole lot as he recorded 78 strikeouts on the whole year and walked a total of 39 times. Segura has been quite productive for the Phillies and the numbers show it.
All in all, this deal was a win for both sides. The Phillies got a good second baseman while the Mariners were able to use the assets they acquired and started to build around them, and acquire more young talent for the older players that they had already received. For both teams, this was positive as they both look to end their playoff droughts this season.
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