The Miami Marlins’ offseason has been very different than compared to the team’s NL East counterparts. While the Phillies, Mets, and Braves have all been busy, the Marlins have been relatively quiet. Miami did make its first major addition of the offseason on December 28, as former All-Star Jean Segura is set to move to South Beach. While it’s not an earth-shattering move, it is one that should boost a Marlins offense that was among MLB’s worst last season.
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A Look at Segura
New Marlin Jean Segura heads to Miami after a four-year run with the Philadelphia Phillies. Last season for the Phillies, Segura hit .277/.336/.387 in 98 games for the NL champions, with 10 home runs and 19 extra base hits. The infielder drove in seven runs in the postseason, but only managed to hit .217.
A career .285 hitter, Segura’s calling card is his ability to make good, solid contact on a consistent basis. Much of that can be attributed to fantastic pitch recognition skills and a strong approach at the plate. Segura has regularly recorded above-average Zone Contact% and Whiff% rates throughout his career.
Defensively, Segura ranked as one of the better fielders in baseball last season. The 32-year-old recorded a +3 Outs Above Average rating last season, and also ranked in the top half of the league in arm strength. Segura could easily fit in the middle infield of most teams. But with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Miguel Rojas entrenched in Miami, it looks more than likely based off of reports that Segura is headed to third base.
Segura now heads to Miami, a team in need of offense after a lackluster 2022 season.
What it Means
Miami’s offense was among the league’s worst in 2022. The Marlins finished last season with the fourth-worst team batting average (.230), OBP (.294) and wOBA (.290), and third-worst SLG (.363) in baseball. Miami did have a rather ambitious offseason last winter, as the organization spent more cash than it had in the past to sign outfielders Jorge Soler and Avisaíl García. Neither of two, though, lived up to expectations. Given that production, it made sense for the Marlins to look for offense in free agency.
Segura’s presence should be welcome, as his .723 OPS from last season would have been good for third on last year’s Marlins team (min. 100 GP). While not a power hitter, Segura’s approach at the plate and contact ability is something that could be looked upon as sorely needed in Miami. The Marlins do have talent, including some interesting young players like former first picks Jordan Groshans and JJ Bleday that could become regulars next season. The key, however, will be whether that talent can consistently produce come 2023.
The acquisition of Segura marks the first major offseason acquisition for Miami this offseason. The Marlins were reportedly in on the likes of Justin Turner and Michael Conforto, but neither wound up in South Florida. An injection of help in the lineup can be considered a boon to support a talented group of young arms, including 2021 All-Star Trevor Rogers, Jesus Luzardo, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and reigning NL Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara.
But, it’s hard to consider this winter for the Marlins a smashing success. Even with Segura, Miami’s lineup pales in comparison to the likes of the Phillies, Braves, and Mets. All three of those teams were among the league’s best in 2022, and each have made significant improvements over the past six weeks. If Miami does want to compete in 2023, it will need to see bounce back seasons from the team’s veterans, and improvement from the likes of Bleday, Groshans, and Jesus Sanchez.
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