The Mariners Wednesday announced that they have signed SS Jean Segura, 27, to a five-year contract extension covering the 2018-22 seasons with a club option for 2023. The club did not disclose financial details, but the MLB Network reported that Segura’s new deal guarantees him at least $70 million. He also has a no-trade clause.
“Over the past two seasons, Jean has been one of the premier offensive players in baseball,” Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto said. “His combination of average, power and speed is extremely difficult to find, especially as a top-of-the-lineup hitter at a key defensive position like shortstop.
“We are all quite excited about having him here with the Mariners and believe he is a key ingredient in our ongoing effort to build a championship-level roster.”
“I say thank you to my teammates and to everybody in the front office, and my beautiful family,” said Segura. “This is a great opportunity to be here for a long time. I’m going to be a Mariner for a few years.”
The Mariners acquired Segura along with outfielder Mitch Haniger and left-handed pitcher Zac Curtis in a November trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for starting pitcher Taijuan Walker and shortstop Ketel Marte. The trade is the biggest of Dipoto’s GM tenure.
In his first season as a Mariner, Segura has hit .341 with 29 runs, 10 doubles, four home runs, 20 RBIs, a .391 on-base percentage and a .852 OPS in 43 games. Despite two stints on the disabled list, Segura leads the American League in batting (.341), is T5 in multi-hit games (20) and ninth in hits (62). He’s hitting .338 vs. right-handed pitching, tops in the AL, and .350 vs. LHP, 9th in the AL
Since the start of 2016, Segura is fourth in MLB in hits with 265 and fifth in batting average (.324). Last year, Segura hit .319 with 203 hits in 153 games. Segura, who played 142 games at second base and 23 at shortstop, finished 13th in the NL MVP voting.
Segura is currently on the 10-day disabled list with a right high ankle sprain, which could keep him out more than a month.
