The struggling Baltimore Orioles have made a move that they hope will solidify their infield by signing former All-Star Jean Segura to a minor-league contract.
The Miami Marlins released Segura during the 2023 season, and he has been out of baseball since then.
Segura has been a shortstop for the majority of his 12-year career, and he has also played second base and third base. The infielder has made the All-Star Game twice in his career.
He played for the National League All-Stars as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2013 season, and he was selected for the American League All-Star team while playing shortstop for the Seattle Mariners during the 2018 season.
When the Marlins released Segura last year, he was slashing .219/.277/.279. He had hit just three home runs with 21 runs batted in while playing in 85 games and getting 301 at-bats.
Segura had a major downturn in 2023 because he had been productive the year before with the Philadelphia Phillies. He slashed .277/.336/.387 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs in 98 games .
The Orioles came into Friday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays tied for first place in the American League East with the New York Yankees. However, the Oriole have been staggering in recent weeks after a very strong first 2 1/2 months of the season. They are just 11-15 in their last 26 games.
Orioles hoping Segura can demonstrate skills once again
While Segura has been out of baseball and he struggled badly with the Miami Marlins before the team released him, the Orioles are hoping he can show that he still has the ability to make a contribution with his defense as well as at the plate.
If he can get comfortable at the minor-league level and the Orioles make the decision to bring him up to the parent club, he should be able to contribute at multiple positions for manager Brandon Hyde. The key to a potential promotion is likely his ability to regain some of his skills at the plate
Segura had his best offensive season in 2016 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He slashed .319/.368/.499, and he blasted 20 home runs while driving in 64 runs. He had a career-best 203 hits that season, and he also stole 33 bases.
That was the first of three-consecutive seasons that he batted .300 or better. The other two seasons came with the Mariners.
Segura is well-traveled throughout his career. He has played with the Los Angeles Angels, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Phillies and Marlins.
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