The Milwaukee Brewers (29-48) remain one of the worst teams in the MLB and they'll likely be exploring various trade scenarios before the July 31 deadline. Rumors involving shortstop Jean Segura have varied, but what are the chances the Brewers move him?
Shortstops aren't easy to come by and general manager Doug Melvin acknowledged that earlier in the season. However, the Brewers have many needs elsewhere, and if the plan is to rebuild, then trading Segura would undoubtedly expedite that process.
"There have been reports that the Brewers told teams they wouldn't trade Segura, which aren't true. They certainly won't rush to move him, but shortstop is the position of biggest strength in the organization, with top prospect Orlando Arcia destined to be the starter in the not-so-distant future," writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"Segura would be attractive to teams looking for a starting shortstop because he is athletic and has bounced back from a poor 2014 offensive showing. He has three more years - all in arbitration - before he can be a free agent, so the Brewers could ask for a lot in return."
As the days go by the Brewers have fewer and fewer valuable trade pieces. It's been said there's little-to-no market for closer Francisco Rodriguez because of his contract; starters Matt Garza and Kyle Lohse have had awful seasons thus far; outfielder Ryan Braun is dealing with thumb issues and has a lucrative contract extension kick in next season; third baseman Aramis Ramirez is having a bad year at the plate; and reliever Jonathan Broxton has 6.91 ERA in 28 2/3 innings and is guaranteed $11 million this year.
Even star catcher Jonathan Lucroy has failed to show any signs of life in 37 games this season.
As a result, this leaves Segura, outfielder Carlos Gomez and first baseman Adam Lind as the team's top trade pieces (along with some of their young starting pitchers that they may not be inclined to move).
The market for these three should be robust, but Segura could yield the biggest return. He plays a position that lacks superior talent across the MLB and he's under club control through the 2018 season. His All-Star campaign in 2013 gives other clubs much to be excited about even though his offense has witnessed a decline since then.
It wouldn't be scrupulous to say the Brewers could afford to get rid of him before the deadline, but they certainly have a good opportunity to replenish the loss at shortstop with top prospects Orlando Arcia (regarded as the team's shortstop of the future) and Gilbert Lara (ranked as No. 5 international prospect in 2014). And if they aren't competing with this roster in 2015, then what's to think they can in 2016, especially in a division with the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs?
Baseball America ranked the Brewers' farm system No. 19 in the MLB while ESPN Insider Keith Law had them at No. 28. Why not trade Segura and get assets to bolster that area?
Melvin should at least keep his options open, and he's probably doing just that. After all, New York Mets' general manager Sandy Alderson said he will not hesitate to acquire a bat before the trade deadline if the team's offense continues to falter.
"I would characterize us as somewhat aggressive," Alderson told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. "... Are we prepared to overpay? Me, personally, yeah, I'm prepared to overpay. But there has to be something to overpay for.
"You get to the point where you're prepared, based on the short term, to maybe do a little more than you'd otherwise do. But there still has to be something out there that's attractive that you really believe is going to help your team."
The Mets could use an upgrade at shortstop, which was a big topic of trade rumors in the offseason. Yes, Wilmer Flores is second on the team in home runs (10) and RBIs (33), but his .238/.270/.395 stat line is a bit troubling and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the Mets plan to use Flores at second base once Daniel Murphy returns from the disabled list.
So would the Mets "overpay" for Segura and would the Brewers be open to making such a deal if it were to present itself? New York has one of the top farm systems in the MLB and could provide Milwaukee with a nice package, especially since the Mets are under pressure to make a move after their recent seven-game losing streak that netted a total of 10 runs.
It's no guarantee the Brewers shop Segura or the Mets make a big trade, but at least keep an eye on this over the next month.
