General manager Jerry Dipoto has been searching for a productive, consistent shortstop and a presence at the top of the Mariners’ lineup since the middle of last season. On Wednesday evening, he got both in one player, but it did come with a hefty price.
In a five-player trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle acquired talented shortstop and leadoff hitter Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Hanigar and left-handed pitcher Zac Curtis in exchange for right-handed pitcher Taijuan Walker and infielder Ketel Marte.
To make room for the three players they picked on their 40-man roster, the Mariners designated switch-pitcher Pat Venditte for assignment.
Segura was obviously the marquee player in the deal.
“Segura was one of the premiere offensive players in the Majors last season,” Dipoto said. “His combination of average, power and speed is extremely difficult to find, especially at a position like shortstop and at the top of our lineup. We believe pairing him with Robinson Cano gives us tremendous offensive potential in the middle of our infield.
Segura, who turns 27 on March 17, had an outstanding year for Arizona, hitting .319 with an .867 on-base plus slugging percentage, 41 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs, 64 RBIs and 33 steals in 153 games. Segura hit leadoff in 147 games for Arizona, ranking first in hits (198), tied for first in triples (seven), second in total bases (310), tied for second in homers (20), third in RBIs (63) and fifth in average (.319).
“Hitting at the top of our lineup, he gives us a different dynamic than we had at any point in 2016,” Dipoto said. “We really wanted to upgrade the way things worked at the top of our lineup and Jean Segura does this.”
Segura played with the Brewers for four seasons and then was traded to the Diamondbacks prior to the 2016 season. He was an All-Star in 2013 and seemed on the verge of being a star for the Brewers until he dealt with a crushing personal tragedy. In July of 2014, Segura’s infant son, Janniel, passed away at nine months old.
“After having dealt with a real personal tragedy, he was able to bounce back and a change of scenery did him a world of good and we saw his true talent come through,” Dipoto said.
Haniger, who turns 26 on Dec. 23, made his MLB debut on Aug. 16 vs. Mets, going 2-for-4 with a double, triple and three RB. He appeared in 34 big league games, hitting hit .229 (25-for-109) with two doubles, a triple, five homers and 17 RBIs.He was also named Arizona’s minor league player of the year, hitting .321 with 34 doubles, five triples, 25 homers and 94 RBIs combined between the Class AA and Class AAA level.
“We see Haniger as a high-ceiling prospect who projects to join our outfield as soon as next season, while Zac Curtis’ track record in the minors gives us great confidence in his future as a big league pitcher.”
Curtis, 24, made 21 appearances with Arizona, going 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.
The Mariners give up one of their top young pitchers in Walker at age 24. The right-hander made 25 starts, going 8-11 with a 4.22 ERA while dealing with a foot injury much of the season.
Marte, 23, the Mariners Opening Day shortstop, hit .259 with 21 doubles, two triples, a home run and 33 RBIs in an injury-shortened 119 games with Seattle in 2016.
