Skip to content
Phillies
Link copied to clipboard

Jean Segura becomes a free agent after the Phillies decline his $17 million option

There is still a possibility Segura remains with the Phillies, but it will be for far less money than his option required.

Jean Segura hit .277/.336/.387 with a .723 OPS this season for the Phillies in 2022.
Jean Segura hit .277/.336/.387 with a .723 OPS this season for the Phillies in 2022.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
    by Alex Coffey
    Updated 
    Published 

The Phillies declined the $17 million club option on second baseman Jean Segura on Monday, the team announced. Because they declined the option, Phillies will have to pay a $1 million buyout.

Segura, 33, becomes a free agent. There is still a possibility he could sign with the Phillies this offseason, but it would be for less than the $17 million.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ biggest offseason questions: Harper’s elbow, shortstop addition and Painter in 2023?

Segura has said he would like to finish his career with the Phillies. In an interview a few weeks ago, he said he has felt as happy in Philadelphia than he has anywhere in his 11-year career, but conceded that it would be a difficult decision for the club.

“I would love [to return],” he said. “I know that’s a tough decision for them, I understand. But I would love to finish my career here. [I’m happier] not just because we got to the postseason, but because of the guys, the city, the staff. I would love to finish here.”

» READ MORE: The Phillies’ three best (and worst) decisions of the 2022 World Series season

The Phillies might look to upgrade in the infield. Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts head a star-studded class of free-agent shortstops, and with the flexibility to move Bryson Stott to second base, both candidates will surely get a look. They won’t come cheap, but with ample money coming off the books this offseason, the Phillies should have some flexibility.

Segura missed some time this season with a right index finger fracture that landed him on the 60-day injured list, but had some memorable moments in October. He sparked a rally in Game 1 of the NL wild-card series in St. Louis with a two-RBI single in the ninth inning. He also mentored some of the younger players on the team, including Stott and Alec Bohm, whom he affectionately called his “youngsters.”

Segura hit .277/.336/.387 with a .723 OPS this season for the Phillies. He is a career .285/.330/.408 hitter.

» READ MORE: The 2022 Phillies are gone, but they will not soon be forgotten