With the new year fast approaching, here’s three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball throughout the day today:
1. Does the Segura signing signal more moves for Miami?
The Marlins have long been considered a likely participant in the trade market this offseason, with plenty of holes in the lineup and a deep rotation from which to deal. This speculation is sure to increase with last night’s signing of Jean Segura to a two-year, $17MM contract. While Segura seems like a good bet to improve Miami’s offense, he’s a curious positional fit for a team that already has Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas up the middle. Barring a position change on Segura’s part, it seems likely that Rojas will join a fellow infielder Joey Wendle on the trading block. Rojas didn’t hit much in 2022 (72 OPS+) but could be attractive to teams looking for help at short as a glove-first, veteran option thanks to his strong defensive metrics last season that made him a finalist for the Gold Glove award. The Red Sox are known to have previously checked in on Rojas already this offseason, although the Marlins are said to have rebuffed Boston’s advances at the time. It’s possible Miami’s tune changes with the acquisition of Segura, though, particularly given the sides have since discussed Wendle in trade talks as well. Speculatively speaking, the White Sox could also make sense as a trade partner for one of Miami’s infielders given their hole at second base, while it’s possible the Angels could look to add a stronger glove to their shortstop mix than the current top options of Luis Rengifo and Gio Urshela.
2. Will the Mariners add a bat?
At the beginning of this offseason, there was something of a logjam in Seattle’s outfield, which was only exacerbated by their acquisition of Teoscar Hernandez from the Blue Jays. Since then, however, the Mariners have shipped out Kyle Lewis and Jesse Winker in separate deals, leaving them in a position where it could behoove them to add another bat to their outfield/DH mix. As things stand, Jarred Kelenic, Dylan Mooreand Cooper Hummel appear to be the primary internal options set to mix and match between left field and DH, and the addition of another bat could solidify that mix considerably. That could come through free agency, as well Jurickson Profar remains on the market as an everyday option, while the likes of David Peralta and AJ Pollock could be added as more complementary options. It would be no surprise, though, if the Mariners decided to explore the trade market, given the thinned out market for starting pitchers and Seattle’s willingness to deal one of Chris Flexen or Marco Gonzales to improve other areas of the roster. Should they choose to go this route, striking a deal with the Cardinals or Orioles could make some sense, as both teams have an excess of position player talent and could benefit from the addition of an arm like Flexen or Gonzales.
3. Where does the infield market stand now that Segura’s off the board?
With Segura joining the Marlins, the infield market has lost its best remaining bat. There are still plenty of teams in need of an infielder, though, even in addition to the aforementioned Red Sox, White Sox, and Angels. The Dodgers, Braves, and Twins could all stand to add an infielder after losing their starting shortstops to free agency earlier this offseason, while the Giants and Tigers could also stand to upgrade their infield mixes. Elvis Andrus, Josh Harrisonand Evan Longoria represent the best options remaining across the infield, although players like Matt Duffy, Brian Andersonand Cesar Hernandez could also be worth a look as potential bounce-back candidates. Shifting focus to the trade market, in addition to Miami, Baltimore could be another club to watch, as they could look to deal an infielder like Jorge Mateo or Ramon Urias to make room for their incoming infield prospects like Joey Ortizand it’s possible the Mets could look to deal Eduardo Escobar if the Carlos Correa deal makes it past the finish line.