Jean

Segura

Segura last appeared in the majors during the 2023 campaign when he got into 85 games for the Marlins. The 35-year-old veteran infielder hangs up his cleats after a 12-year career that included stints with the Marlins, Phillies, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Brewers and Angels. The two-time All-Star will be most remembered as the centerpiece of the Ketel Marte trade with Seattle that brought the franchise cornerstone to Arizona back in 2016. He steps away with a lifetime .281 batting average with 110 home runs and 211 stolen bases across 1,413 games from 2012-2023.

The 34-year-old had just signed a minor league deal with the Orioles in early August, but he requested his release from the team on Sunday and had it granted. It’s unclear if he’ll attempt to latch on elsewhere or if this might be the end of the line for Segura.

The 34-year-old infielder hasn’t played since slashing a miserable .219/.277/.279 with three homers, 21 RBI and a 47/22 K/BB ratio over 326 plate appearances with the Marlins during the 2023 campaign. It’s a nice low-risk flier for the Orioles though to see if he has anything left in the tank.

Segura, whose listed playing weight is 220 pounds, is at 215 now after checking in at 235 in August. We take this to mean that the 33-year-old Segura isn’t hanging up the spikes just yet. He had a miserable four months in Miami before having his contract passed on to Cleveland, but his exit velocity and strikeout numbers weren’t much different than usual.

Ever seen that GIF of Grandpa Simpson going in and out of a door after putting his hat on the hat rack? Well, that’s basically Segura here, though he didn’t even have enough time to get a Guardians hat. Segura signed a two-year, $17 million deal with the Marlins this offseason, but he’s disappointed with a .219/.277/.279 batting line over 325 plate appearances. Now he’ll head back into free agency and can sign with a team at the major league minimum.

Segura went to the Guardians in Tuesday’s deadline deal that sent Josh Bell to the Marlins, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll ever get to don the Guardians’ uniform. He’s still owed $8.5 million for the 2024 season and a $2 million buyout for 2025 — in addition to his remaining salary for this season.

A change of scenery will hopefully do Segura some good, as he has slashed a woeful .219/.277/.279 with three homers, 21 RBI and six swipes in 301 at-bats for the Marlins this season.

Segura went 1-for-4 on the day with a double in the ninth inning that drove in both runs. While he’s hitting just .222/.284/.279 on the season, he came into Sunday’s game with a triple-slash of .340/.386/.434 over the last 30 days. That comes with just one steal and six runs scored, so he’s still not a shallow league fantasy asset, but if he can continue to keep the batting average strong then he could be an option in deeper leagues while hitting in the middle of a surprisingly solid Marlins lineup.

Segura was tossed after being called out on strikes in the seventh inning. He finished 0-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Joey Wendle came on to play shortstop with Jon Berti moving over the third base.

Gurriel took a ball to the face during pregame defensive work at first base and will get the rest of the night off. With Garrett Cooper out due to illness, it’ll be Luis Arraez moving over to cover first base, Jon Berti handling the keystone and Jean Segura entering the lineup at the hot corner.