Rangers Trade Daniel Robert To Phillies
The Rangers have traded right-hander Daniel Robert, whom they’d recently designated for assignment, to the Phillies in exchange for minor league right-hander Enrique Segura, per announcements from both clubs. The Phillies optioned Robert to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Robert, 30, made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2024 and pitched quite well in a small sample. He tossed 5 2/3 innings, holding opponents to two runs (3.18 ERA) on six hits and a pair of walks. He averaged just under 95 mph on his four-seamer, dodged hard contact of nearly any sort, and fanned six of his 26 opponents (23.1%).
It’s a tiny sample, of course, but Robert has also pitched well in the upper minors. It took several passes through Triple-A — he struggled there in 2022 and logged pedestrian numbers in 2023 before thriving in 2024 — but the recent results are impressive. Last year, Robert tossed 43 1/3 innings and notched a tidy 2.70 ERA. He punched out a weighty 31% of his opponents against a lower-than-average 7.7% walk rate. He’s picked up right where he left off so far in 2025, firing 11 2/3 frames with a 1.54 ERA, 34% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate.
Overall, Robert has a 2.45 ERA, 31.7% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 43.3% ground-ball rate in his past 55 Triple-A innings. That comes on top of his solid MLB debut in ’24. He’s averaged better than 95 mph during during that pair of Triple-A seasons and recorded a swinging-strike rate of nearly 14%. It’s been a nice run for the former 21st-round pick — who’s in the second of three minor league option years — making his DFA something of a surprise in the first place.
Given that recent run, it’s not a surprise that the Rangers were able to acquire a prospect in exchange for Robert — as opposed to the more common cash swaps we see involving players who’ve been designated for assignment. Segura entered the 2025 season ranked 21st among Phillies prospects, per FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen. He’s coming off a season in which he pitched well for six games with the Rangers’ Rookie-level club before moving up to Class-A at just 19 years old (about three years younger than the average player in that league).
Segura was hit hard in A-ball, as one might expect, but he’s been more effective there so far in 2025, his age-20 campaign. He posted a combined 5.76 earned run average in 75 minor league frames last year, all coming as a starter. This year, he’s tossed 17 innings with a 4.24 ERA, 25% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. Those early rate stats represent modest gains over his 2024 levels (22 K%, 11.4 BB%).
Longenhagen highlights Segura’s projectable frame as reason to believe his stuff might play up as he continues to mature. That, paired with a smooth and repeatable delivery that is quite deceptive for right-handed opponents in particular, pushed him into the middle tiers of the Phillies’ prospect rankings at FanGraphs. Baseball America tabbed Segura 28th in Philadelphia’s system a couple years back, praising that same projectable build, his mechanics, and the potential for a plus slider.
Segura is a project, to be sure, but he’s a better prospect than most who are flipped in DFA trades, which seems reflective of the intriguing numbers Robert has posted over the past calendar year.
The Opener: Martinez, Chisholm, Opt-Out Decisions
Here are three things we’ll be watching around baseball as the calendar flips to May.
1. A potential IL stint for Justin Martinez:
Diamondbacks righty Justin Martinez had one of the most disappointing outings of his young career on Wednesday, giving up a home run and two walks before exiting the game. It was only the second time he had ever been removed mid-inning before recording an out. After the contest, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, that Martinez could go for testing on his right arm and that a stint on the injured list is a possibility.
It’s not yet clear where Martinez’s injury is located (if he is indeed injured at all), but his velocity has dropped substantially over his past few appearances. Early in the season, he was averaging triple digits with his sinker, but his velocity was down to the 97-98 mph range in two appearances over the weekend. Last night, his sinker was averaging just 93.5 mph, according to Baseball Savant. Earlier this week, Martinez told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert that he wasn’t concerned, saying, “My arm feels good.” Yet, given his dramatic decline in velocity, it’s no wonder the Diamondbacks are worried about a potential injury. Presumably, the team will provide more updates if and when Martinez goes for imaging.
2. MRI for Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited early on Tuesday and sat out Wednesday’s series finale against the Orioles with what was originally deemed “right flank discomfort” and later clarified to be an oblique issue (per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Chisholm himself has downplayed the severity of the injury, but manager Aaron Boone isn’t quite as optimistic. The skipper told reporters (including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic): “[Chisholm is] in pretty good spirits. He just told me, ‘I’m fine.’ I don’t know about that.” Boone suggested that despite Chisholm’s good spirits, an IL stint might be in order. According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, Chisholm was still feeling sore on Wednesday, and an MRI today will help the Yankees determine next steps.
3. Opt-out opportunity for veterans on minor league deals:
The collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA allows Article XX(B)-designated free agents (those with at least six years of service time who finished the previous campaign on a major league roster or injured list) three chances to opt out of minor league deals they may have signed, presuming they signed those deals at least ten days before Opening Day and they haven’t been added to their team’s 40-man roster. One of those opt-outs is today, May 1. Some notable veterans who could exercise their opt-outs include Eloy Jiménez (Rays) and Andrew Chafin (Tigers). Yasmani Grandal, who signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox after Opening Day, also reportedly has a May 1 opt-out in his deal.