The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired Jean Segura from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Aaron Hill in a five-player trade, they announced on Saturday.
Other pieces in the deal include Tyler Wagner, who is headed to the Diamondbacks, as well as Chase Anderson and Isan Diaz, who are headed to the Brewers. The trade was first reported by ESPN's Keith Law. The Diamondbacks have wanted to deal Hill for quite some time now, as Robert Murray of Baseball Essential reported. He is owed $12 million in 2016 and has underperformed as he ages. In order for the Brewers to take on Hill, the Diamondbacks rewarded them with the addition of Diaz, their 2nd round pick in 2014. He has developed beautifully, posting an eye popping 1.076 OPS in 312 plate appearances last year in Rookie ball. From the Brewers' perspective, they had to pull this deal off as they look to rebuild. The team went 68-94 last season and are not near contention anytime soon. For them, Segura was expendable due to the emergence of top infield prospect Orlando Arcia. He is rated as the sixth-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. Arcia is going to be the centerpiece of the next contending Brewers team, so they felt they needed to clear the path for him by dealing Segura. But it will be Hill who heads to Milwaukee's big league club in the meantime. The 33-year-old hit .230/.295/.345 with six homers and 32 RBIs in 353 plate appearances last season. He was worth 0.1 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement. As for the the Diamondbacks, they have wanted infield depth after committing to contention this offseason. They signed Zack Greinke to a long-term deal and acquired Shelby Miller from the Braves, solidifying themselves as a force in the National League. But they didn't see themselves as complete, wanting another infield piece and an upgrade over Hill. That's where Segura came in. The only issue is, however, he has no big league experience at second base. He last played there in 2012, while still in the Angels organization. The soon-to-be 26-year-old hit .256/.281/.336 with six home runs and 50 RBIs in 584 plate appearances last season. He stole 25 bases in 31 attempts. Known for his defense, Segura was worth 0.3 FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (fWAR). Tyler Wagner and Chase Anderson were also exchanged in the deal. Wagner, 25, made three starts for the Brewers in 2015, allowing 11 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. Anderson, 28, has been with the Diamondbacks for two seasons and owns a career 4.18 ERA and a 216 to 80 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 267 innings pitched, making 48 starts. --Devan Fink
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported Friday.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the deal is a six-year contract. Rosenthal and Heyman reported that Greinke will make $206.5 million, with deferrals in the contract expected. The Diamondbacks truly came out of nowhere to sign Greinke. Greinke was thought to be deciding between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. Then, this evening, Rosenthal reported that the Diamondbacks were planning on pursuing him, making three National League West rivals in the mix. The Dodgers reportedly did not want to go past five-years on Greinke, while the Diamondbacks went with six. Arizona was known to be in on the starting pitching market, reportedly making an offer to Johnny Cueto and showing interest in Mike Leake. Greinke was never known to be on their radar until this evening. Greinke will make an average of $32.5 million per year, which is a Major League record, breaking the old record of $31 million per season (shared by Miguel Cabrera and David Price). If Greinke makes 32 starts in 2016 (like he did in 2014 and 2015), he will make about $1.075 million per start. If he pitches 220 innings, he will make $156,439.39 per inning and $52,146.47 per out. The Diamondbacks were never thought to be true contenders in 2016, but with the addition of Greinke, they have catapulted themselves into early contention. They are building around a core of Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock in their lineup but sensed an obvious need in their rotation. After signing Greinke, their rotation includes Patrick Corbin, Rubby De La Rosa, Robbie Ray, and top prospect Archie Bradley. Grienke leads the rotation, but it is obvious that they could still use a little more help. It's hard to know whether this contract will work out for the Diamondbacks, but they will control Greinke during his age-32 through age-38 seasons. He is likely to go through at least somewhat of a decline between now and then, but the question becomes how much and how quickly does Greinke decline? Last season, Greinke was fantastic. He went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA (2.76 FIP) in 222 2/3 innings pitched. He posted a 200 to 40 strikeout-to-walk ratio and never had an ERA above two the entire season. Over his career, Greinke has pitched with the Royals, Brewers, Angels, and Dodgers. He has a 142-93 record in 364 appearances (323 starts), posting a 3.35 ERA and 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 years in the league. --Devan Fink
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired right-handed starter Jeremy Hellickson from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Robert Murray of Baseball Essential first reported Saturday.
In return for Hellickson, the Diamondbacks received Rookie-level right-hander Sam McWilliams, as John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported. The Phillies are taking a calculated risk by acquiring Hellickson. A former Rookie of the Year, Hellickson at the least will be able to fill innings in Philadelphia, where their rotation is void of back-end starting pitching. However, Hellickson serves a double-purpose. If he can re-find some of his old magic, Philadelphia may be able to trade him at either the 2016 or 2017 trade deadline and get more prospects in return than they gave up to get him. For Arizona, Hellickson was likely to get a raise in arbitration this offseason and the team was thought not to want to tender him a contract. It appears that they attempted to get whatever they could for him, as by dealing him they are at least able to get some prospect return, as opposed to non-tendering, or releasing, him. The 28-year-old Hellickson had an average season in 2015. He went 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA (4.44 FIP; 4.16 xFIP) in 27 starts and 146 innings this season, missing some time due to hamstring issues. He posted a 2.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio, striking out 121 and walking 43, the best mark of his career (min. 50 IP). Hellickson's best season was his rookie year when he was with the Rays. He went 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA in 29 starts, en route to the Rookie of the Year award. The Diamondbacks received a low-level prospect in return. McWilliams, 20, has not advanced past Rookie-level ball since being drafted in 2014. He was rated as the Phillies No. 27 prospect in their Top 30, according to MLB Pipeline. --Devan Fink
Mike Leake might not be the flashiest starting pitcher on the 2016 free agent market, especially with the likes of Jordan Zimmermann, David Price, and Zack Grienke out there, but he might be the one that provides the biggest, most unheralded impact.
The Giants, who traded for Leake from the Reds over the summer, have already reportedly shown interest in Leake's services for 2016 and beyond. Today, however, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Diamondbacks will also show interest in the right-hander when he becomes a free agent this fall. Leake was acquired midway through the season to try and give the Giants a playoff push. That has since been spoiled; the Dodgers won the National League West and the Giants could not catch either the Pirates or the Cubs in the Wild Card race. Regardless, the 27-year-old Leake has been a solid addition, going 2-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 55 1/3 innings pitched, posting a 29 to 13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. On the year in full, Leake's turned in his third consecutive sub-4.00 ERA season, working to a 3.70 ERA over 192 innings with the Reds and Giants. For Leake, what you see is what you get. He's going to throw 180 to 200 innings and give you solid results. That's what makes his next contract a hard one to truly pinpoint. Considering his age, it wouldn't be hard to see Leake sign a contract in the James Shields four-year, $75 million range. The Diamondbacks represent an interesting suitor for Leake. The team has a youthful and somewhat inexperienced rotation featuring Patrick Corbin, Robbie Ray, and Rubby De La Rosa, among others. Adding Leake would represent an experienced veteran to help lead the staff into the future as the team starts to build itself back to contention. --Devan Fink
The New York Mets are continuing to make finishing touches on their roster before the August 31 waiver trade deadline hits.
On Saturday, they acquired right-hander Addison Reed from the Diamondbacks, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com first reported. In return for the reliever, the Diamondbacks received two minor-league right-handers, Miller Diaz and Matt Koch, reported Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The 26-year-old Reed has had an up-and-down career, first looking like one of the most promising closers in the American League with the White Sox before losing that role with the Diamondbacks earlier this year. This season, Reed is 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA (3.12 FIP) in 40 2/3 innings pitched, saving three games in five opportunities. He lost the role of closer earlier this year after posting a 7.20 ERA through 11 games, going two-for-four in save opportunities. Since the All-Star Break, however, Reed has been exceptional. He's made 13 appearances out of the bullpen since the Midsummer Classic, pitching 16 1/3 innings and allowing just three earned runs, not to mention a solid 14 to 3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. For the Mets, Reed can serve as a multi-year addition if they'd like him to be. Reed will be second-time arbitration-eligible next offseason if New York decides to tender him a contract. He is therefore under team control through the 2017 season. On the year, Mets relievers have posted a 3.15 ERA, good for sixth in baseball. However, their 3.83 xFIP (15th in the league) suggests that they could be better. --Devan Fink |
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