Could Jean Segura and Manny Machado be playing together with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019?
There is a chance that could happen as Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported on Saturday night that the team is still interested in acquiring Segura and is also committed to pursuing Machado. Salisbury also added that the Phillies hope to convince Machado to play third base if they can land Segura.
However, if they cannot acquire Segura, the MLB scribe still believes that the Phillies will go after Machado, but instead have him play at shortstop.
It was reported last week by Jon Morosi of MLB.com that the Phillies were interested in acquiring Segura and closer Edwin Diaz from the Seattle Mariners. While Segura is still on the market and has many suitors, Diaz was recently traded along with power-hitting infielder Robinson Cano to the New York Mets in a blockbuster seven-player deal.
With that being known, Philadelphia might have to ramp up their pursuit for Segura, especially with Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto looking to rebuild for 2019. If the Phillies want the 28-year-old infielder, whom could they possibly give up in return?
One option could be shortstop J.P. Crawford, who Seattle is reportedly interested in, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Atheltic. Crawford has not lived up to his first-round selection thus far with the Phillies due to nagging injuries.
This past season, the 23-year-old infielder only played in 49 games and hit .214/.319/.393 with three home runs and 12 RBI. Along with Crawford, the Phillies could also send Carlos Santana to Seattle as there have been rumors about the organization shopping him this offseason.
The Phillies just signed Santana last offseason to a three-year, $60 million deal, but he did not have the best season at the plate (.229/.352/.414) and is owed $35 over next two seasons.
In addition to his lack of success at the plate, Philadelphia also has plans on moving Rhys Hoskins back to first base next year, which would eliminate a spot for the 32-year-old Santana.
On paper, a potential deal between the two teams should work as Philadelphia would get a better hitting infielder in Segura (if he waives his NTC), while Seattle would receive a cheaper and younger infielder plus would not be on the hook for Santana for a considerable amount of time.
Nevertheless, it should be interesting to see what ultimately happens with both Segura and the Phillies as the winter meetings are set to begin on Dec. 9.
