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Phillies Select Yairo Munoz, Option Mickey Moniak

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The Phillies have selected the contract of infielder Yairo Munoz from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and optioned center fielder Mickey Moniak back to Lehigh Valley in a corresponding 26-man roster move. Infielder Jean Segura was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Munoz. Segura suffered a broken finger a couple weeks back and is expected to miss up to 12 weeks of action as a result.

Munoz, 27, is hitting .319/.345/.454 in 172 plate appearances with the IronPigs so far in 2022. A solid utilityman with the Cardinals back in 2018, he’s struggled to recreate that year’s .276/.350/.413 output at the big league level. Munoz has consistently hit well against Triple-A pitching, though, and he’ll give the Phillies some additional infield cover with Segura, Johan Camargo and Nick Maton all on the injured list.

As for Moniak, the 24-year-old former No. 1 pick hasn’t gotten it going at the plate after getting a late start to the season due to a fractured hand suffered in Spring Training. He’s hit just .160/.250/.160 in a tiny sample of 25 plate appearances, and the Phils will give him a reset in Triple-A to try to get back on track there. At this point, it’s unlikely that Moniak ever matches the expectations so often associated with the top overall pick in the draft, but that doesn’t rule him out as a potentially useful contributor to the Phillies — either in 2022 or further down the road.

Roman Quinn Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Quinn cleared DFA waivers, and the Phillies announced that Quinn has elected to become a free agent rather accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.

JUNE 1: The Phillies announced a series of roster moves Wednesday, placing second baseman Jean Segura on the 10-day injured list due to a fractured right index finger, recalling lefty Cristopher Sanchez and infielder Nick Maton from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and designating outfielder Roman Quinn for assignment. The team announced after last night’s game that Segura had fractured his finger.

Quinn, 29, scored the walk-off run from second base on a cringeworthy Dodgers error earlier this season, but his blistering speed hasn’t been enough to offset his general lack of production at the dish. In 40 plate appearances, he’s hitting just .162/.225/.289 with 15 punchouts (37.5%). He’s had similar struggles dating back to the 2019 season, batting a combined .200/.278/.315 through 340 plate appearances with the Phillies, who’ll now have a week to trade the former second-rounder, pass him through outright waivers or release him.

The loss of Segura is a tough one for a Phillies club that is floundering through another disappointing season. The 32-year-old veteran has been solid at the plate, hitting .275/.324/.407 with six home runs and eight stolen bases, and he’s been one of the team’s only average-or-better defenders (by measure of Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average).

In Segura’s absence, the Phils can turn to Maton or utilityman Johan Camargo, with struggling prospect Bryson Stott taking increased reps at shortstop. Maton had a hot start in his MLB debut last year but saw his bat wilt en route to a .256/.323/.385 output over 131 big league plate appearances. He’s hitting .241/.360/.462 so far in Triple-A this year. Camargo similarly had a strong start in 2022 but has faded of late; he’s now hitting .248/.318/.350 on the season.

Jean Segura To Undergo Finger Surgery, Expected To Miss 10-12 Weeks

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Phillies second baseman Jean Segura will need to undergo surgery after fracturing his finger during last night’s loss to the Giants, manager Joe Girardi announced to reporters (including Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). The team expects him to be sidelined for 10-12 weeks.

The Phils just placed Segura on the 10-day injured list this afternoon, but it’s a virtual inevitability he’ll head to the 60-day version whenever the club needs a 40-man roster spot. It’s a brutal blow for the Phils, who are off to a disappointing 21-29 start. Philadelphia had another big offseason in an attempt to snap a decade-long playoff drought, but they’re already facing an uphill battle in the standings and will now have to play without a key regular for most of the year.

Segura has started 43 of the Phils’ 50 games this season. The contact-hitting second baseman had been having a solid year, carrying a .275/.324/.407 line through 179 trips to the plate. He has popped six home runs and swiped eight bases, making him one of the team’s more productive all-around position players. He’s in the final guaranteed year of his deal, and the club holds a $17MM option on his services for 2023 with a $1MM buyout.

With Segura out, second base seems likely to fall to a combination of rookie Bryson Stott and utilityman Johan Camargo for the time being. The former is one of the top young players in the Phillies’ system, but he’s struggled to a .123/.179/.151 line through his first 78 MLB plate appearances. Stott has hit very well in the minors and the Phils no doubt anticipate better results at the big league level, but he also only has 19 games of Triple-A experience under his belt.

Camargo has a much larger body of work in the majors. He’s a versatile infield defender with decent contact skills from both sides of the plate, but he’s not offered much in the way of offensive production since a strong 2018 season with the division-rival Braves. Camargo hit .212/.260/.361 in just shy of 400 trips to the plate between 2019-21, and the Braves cut him loose at the end of last season. He signed a one-year deal with Philly over the winter and has a .248/.318/.350 mark in 40 games.

The Phillies also have 25-year-old Nick Maton on the 40-man roster. The left-handed hitter posted a .256/.323/.385 line through his first 131 big league plate appearances last season. He’s yet to play in the majors this year, though he was recalled today from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after starting the season with a .241/.360/.462 line there. Prospect Luis Garcia, who has yet to reach Double-A, is the only other primary infielder on the 40-man roster aside from the presumptive starting group of Rhys Hoskins, Alec Bohm and Didi Gregorius.

With Segura facing an extended absence, it’s not of the question the Phils look to the trade market for some additional help. It’s rare to see trades of consequence this early in June, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and his staff could look externally for a more proven solution.

Teams like the Nationals and Reds have virtually no chance of reaching the playoffs this season, and they’ve each got second basemen who are headed for free agency at the end of the year (old friend César Hernández and Brandon Drury, respectively). Seattle’s Adam Frazier could also find himself on the move as an impending free agent, but the M’s aren’t likely to make that kind of deal unless they’re still far out of contention closer to the trade deadline.

Jean Segura Fractures Finger

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Phillies infielder Jean Segura fractured his right index finger during tonight’s game, manager Joe Girardi informed reporters (including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com and Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). A more specific timetable will be known after Segura goes for a CT scan tomorrow, but it’s likely he’s at least headed to the injured list.

Segura has started 43 of the Phils’ 50 games this season. The contact-hitting second baseman is having a solid season, carrying a .275/.324/.407 line through 179 trips to the plate. Segura has popped six home runs and swiped eight bases, making him one of the team’s more productive all-around position players.

It’s been a rough start for the Phils, who dropped a 7-4 contest in extra innings against the Giants tonight. That took them to 21-29, percentage points above the Marlins for third place in the NL East. Philadelphia entered the season firmly with a win-now mentality after another aggressive winter, but they’ve already dug themselves a 12 1/2 game hole relative to the Mets in the division.

Their efforts to climb back into contention would be hampered further by an extended absence for Segura, and the club will no doubt hope he’s able to return relatively quickly. Primary shortstop Didi Gregorius has been on the injured list for three weeks due to a left knee sprain, leaving that position to rookie Bryson Stott and veteran utilityman Johan Camargo.

Gregorius started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this evening. Ideally, the 32-year-old would have a few days in a lower-pressure environment to get back into game shape, but Zolecki suggests the Phils could reinstate him from the IL sooner in response to Segura’s injury. Even if Gregorius steps back into the big league lineup, it’d seem Camargo and Stott would have to split second base duties while Segura is out.

Camargo has been off to an alright start after signing a one-year deal over the winter. The former Brave is hitting .248/.318/.350 through 130 plate appearances while offering some defensive flexibility throughout the infield. Stott, meanwhile, has yet to find his stride through his first 24 MLB games. The former first-round pick and top prospect is hitting just .123/.179/.151 against big league arms, although he did tee off on Triple-A pitching for nine games before being recalled once Gregorius went on the IL.

This Date In Transactions History: January 30

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Let’s take a look back at some notable moves taking place on this day in years past…

  • 2021: The Blue Jays officially announced their one-year, $18MM deal with Marcus Semien, as the two sides agreed to the contract a few days prior.  In the aftermath of a disappointing 2020 season with the A’s, Semien opted for the one-year pact with Toronto in order to rebuild his free agent value with a better performance in 2021.  This plan worked to perfection, as Semien finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs (a new single-season record for a second baseman).  Semien then cashed in during his most recent trip to the open market, signing a seven-year, $175MM contract with the Rangers signed prior to the lockout.
  • 2021: In another notable move completed one year ago, the Athletics acquired Cole Irvin from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.  Irvin hadn’t done much over 45 1/3 career innings with Philadelphia, but the southpaw emerged as a valuable member of Oakland’s rotation last year, posting a 4.24 ERA over 178 1/3 innings.  While the Statcast metrics weren’t kind to Irvin and questions remain as to whether or not he can stick as a reliable starting pitcher, and yet for the cost of just a minor cash outlay, the trade was already a win for the A’s.  It is possible Irvin wouldn’t have broken out without a change of scenery, and yet the deal doesn’t look great in hindsight for the Phillies, especially considering the Phils spent much of the season looking for consistency at the back of their rotation.
  • 2016: Jean Segura was traded for the second of four times in his career, as the Diamondbacks acquired Segura and right-hander Tyler Wagner from the Brewers for a package of Chase Anderson, Isan Diaz, Aaron Hill, and $5.5MM to cover part of Hill’s remaining salary.  Segura’s lone season in Arizona was the best of his career (.319/.368/.499 with 20 homers as part of a 5.0 fWAR campaign), but it wasn’t enough to keep the D’Backs from a 93-loss season.  With Mike Hazen taking over as Arizona’s GM in the aftermath of that rough season, Segura found himself on the move again in November 2016, traded to the Mariners in another notable swap that brought Ketel Marte to the desert.  From Milwaukee’s perspective, their Segura trade ended up being a nice win.  Anderson became a solid member of the rotation for four seasons, while Diaz was part of the prospect package the Brewers sent to the Marlins to land Christian Yelich.
  • 2006: Hey, remember when Mike Piazza played for the Padres?  The Hall-of-Famer spent only one season in a Friars uniform, but it was a memorable one, sparked when Piazza signed a one-year, $2MM deal (with an $8MM mutual option for 2007).  Getting the bulk of playing time as San Diego’s starting catcher, Piazza still plenty left in the tank at age 37, hitting .283/.342/.501 with 22 home runs over 439 PA.  Piazza’s big year helped the Padres win the NL West, but the team declined their end of the mutual option after the season.
  • 1954: Bobby Thomson’s legendary home run helped THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT in 1951, but it can be argued that trading Thomson helped the Giants win the World Series in 1954.  On this day 68 years ago, the then-New York Giants picked up left-handers Johnny Antonelli and Don Liddle, backup catcher Ebba St. Claire, infielder Billy Klaus and $50K in cash from the then-Milwaukee Braves in exchange for Thomson and catcher Sam Calderone.  Antonelli became a fixture of the Giants rotation for the next seven seasons, reaching six All-Star games and posting a league-best 2.30 ERA in 1954.  Liddle was also a solid arm for New York in 1954, and might be best remembered for allowing the long Vic Wertz fly ball that required Willie Mays to make “The Catch” in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.  Brought into the game specifically to face Wertz, Liddle was removed after facing his one batter — according to legend, Liddle then wisecracked “well, I got my man” in mock-bragging fashion after leaving the game.
  • 1923: It’s not quite the most famous example of the Red Sox trading a future Hall-of-Famer to the Yankees, since it’s not like Boston fans bemoaned “The Curse Of Herb Pennock.”  Still, the Yankees never won a World Series before Pennock came to the Bronx, dealt from Boston for $50K and three players who were all gone from the Sox roster by 1925.  Pennock was already a 10-year veteran with a solid career behind him at the time of the trade, but after a couple of relative down years in 1921 and 1922, the Sox were ready to move on.  Pennock went on to pitch 11 seasons with the Yankees, posting a 3.54 ERA over 2203 1/3 innings and helping New York win four Series championships.  The southpaw was at his best in October, with a 1.95 ERA over 55 1/3 career innings in World Series play.

Phillies Jean Segura Out Three Weeks With Groin Strain

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7:44 pm: The Phillies are placing Segura on the 10-day IL, Girardi told reporters (including Matt Gelb of the Athletic). Maton has indeed been recalled to replace him. GM Sam Fuld said Segura suffered a Grade 1 groin strain and is expected to miss three weeks (via Zolecki).

7:57 am: Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Dodgers was a particularly tough night for the Phillies, due to injuries to both Bryce Harper and Jean Segura.  Harper left the game in the fourth inning due to lower back tightness, while Segura came up limping after beating out a grounder to first base in the ninth.  Segura was replaced for pinch-runner Andrew Knapp, as the backup catcher was the last man remaining on Philadelphia’s bench after Harper’s injury and other in-game substitutions.

Segura’s injury was labeled a left groin strain, and manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) after the game that “I’m not so confident that’s day to day,” so a trip to the 10-day injured list certainly looks to be in the cards for the infielder.  This would Segura’s second IL stint of the season, after a right squad strain sidelined for 15 games in late April and early May.

Despite the missed time, Segura has still been one of the Phillies’ best hitters this season, and he has been on pace for the best numbers of his 10-year career.  Segura has hit .332/.379/.465 over 203 plate appearances (133 wRC+, 136 OPS+), cracking three homers and scoring 24 runs.  While Segura has benefited from a sky-high .378 BABIP and his .365 wOBA far outpaces his .321 xwOBA, he has also been one of the league’s harder player to strike out.  Now in his second year as the Phils’ starting second baseman, Segura is also delivering above-average glovework, as per the Outs Above Average (+4) and Defensive Runs Saved (+4) metrics, though UZR/150 (-7.4) isn’t a fan of his defense at the keystone.

Nick Maton would be the likeliest Triple-A call-up if Segura did hit the injured list, as Maton has the second-most innings at second base of any Phillies player this season.  The rookie got off to a hot start in his first MLB season, but an 0-for-20 slump resulted in Maton being sent to Triple-A last week.  Ronald Torreyes and Brad Miller are second-base options on the active roster, though Torreyes has been starting at shortstop in the wake of Maton’s slump and Miller’s utilityman skills might be required in the outfield with Harper hurting.

In the bigger picture, however, there’s really no ideal way for the Phillies to replace Segura and Harper if both miss a substantial amount of time.  Philadelphia is in second place in the NL East but with only a 32-33 record, and the team sits five games back of both the division lead and the second NL wild card berth.  If the Phillies continue to hover around the .500 mark and can’t gain any ground in either playoff race, it remains to be seen how aggressive the team might be at the trade deadline (or, if they might pivot to selling some players).

Phillies Notes: Velasquez, Harper, Segura, Maton

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The Phillies held on to secure a nail-biting win over the Brewers last night, and they did so largely on the strength of a strong outing from enigmatic righty Vince Velasquez. The 28-year-old righty has been in and out of the rotation over the past several years, but Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia suggests that he’s put himself in line for another look after his recent stretch. The Phils haven’t gotten much out of their offseason investment in Matt Moore, and at least for the time being, Velasquez has pitched well enough that it’d be hard to justify putting him back in the ’pen even now that Moore is back from the IL. Manager Joe Girardi has yet to confirm who’ll take the ball when the fifth spot in the rotation comes up again this weekend, but if he wants to ride the hot hand, Velasquez has a 3.24 ERA and 19-to-8 K/BB ratio in his past 16 2/3 frames.

More on the Phils…

  • Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper is dealing with a left wrist problem, though manager Joe Girardi doesn’t expect him to go on the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com tweets. The issue cropped up last week, causing Harper to sit out the Phillies’ games on Friday and Saturday. Harper returned to their lineup Sunday, but he re-aggravated the injury then, and he wasn’t in Monday’s lineup as a result. The hope is that he’ll return in the next couple of days. The Phillies have used a combination of Matt Joyce, Roman Quinn and Odubel Herrera in right when Harper as been unavailable, but their numbers have left plenty to be desired. Harper, on the other hand, has slashed a tremendous .317/.446/.598 with six home runs and three stolen bases over 101 plate appearances.
  • Second baseman Jean Segura and utilityman Ronald Torreyes will embark on rehab assignments this week, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The Phillies have gone without Segura since he went on the 10-day IL with a strained right quad April 21, while Torreyes landed on the Covid IL on April 19. Rookie Nick Maton has emerged at the keystone during Segura’s absence with an impressive .327/.365/.429 showing in his first 52 major league trips to the plate. To keep Maton’s bat in the lineup when Segura returns, the Phillies could give him an opportunity in center field, Girardi said. Phillies center fielders — Quinn, Herrera, Adam Haseley (who’s away from the team for personal reasons) and Mickey Moniak — have combined for an astonishingly poor .105/.190/.189 line through 105 plate appearances in 2021.
  • More from Gelb, who reports in a full column that the Phillies removed Rafael Chaves as their director of pitching development in March and promoted Travis Hergert on an interim basis. Chaves remains with the organization, but his new role isn’t clear. Hergert has just one year of experience as a professional coach, having joined the Phillies prior to 2020 after a stint at North Iowa Area Community College. Hergert is a major advocate of Driveline Baseball’s training programs, according to Gelb, who reports that not everyone in the Phillies’ player development ranks is on board. Nevertheless, the Phillies are hopeful Hergert and pitching coach Caleb Cotham will work well together with a data-driven approach.

Phillies Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Phillies announced Wednesday that they’ve placed infielder Jean Segura on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right quadriceps and optioned righty Ramon Rosso to their alternate site in Lehigh Valley. In their place, the Phillies have recalled infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery and right-hander Spencer Howard.

The loss of Segura even for a brief period — the team has yet to provide a timeline — stings for the Phillies. The 31-year-old is out to an excellent start this season, slashing .333/.359/.450 with a homer, four doubles and a stolen base in his first 64 trips to the plate. The Phillies have bounced him around the diamond the past couple of seasons, but he’s been their everyday second baseman early in the 2021 campaign.

Second base duties will now likely fall to Kingery and utilityman Brad Miller. Kingery is looking for a rebound after a disastrous 2020 season that began with a three-week stint on the Covid-19 injured list. Kingery didn’t have any real ramp-up period to the shortened season, and the .159/.228/.283 slash he posted in 124 plate appearances was miles away from the solid .258/.315/.474 slash he logged through 458 trips to the plate in 2019. He also spent time on the IL with back spasms last season.

The hope was that a full, healthy Spring Training would get Kingery back to his 2020 form, but Kingery struggled mightily in Grapefruit League play. Through 15 games and 49 plate appearances, he cobbled together just a .159/.229/.295 slash that looked eerily similar to last year’s woeful showing. The Phils optioned him to their alternate site near the end of camp, and this will be his first chance at a rebound.

Howard, like Kingery, has long been regarded not only as one of the organization’s best prospects, but one of the best in the league. The 24-year-old struggled through 24 1/3 innings last year during his MLB debut effort and has logged just one inning thus far in 2021. While Howard has been a starter throughout his minor league career, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated at the end of Spring Training that the plan for the 2021 season was to use Howard primarily out of the bullpen.

Latest On Phillies’ Middle Infield

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The Phillies addressed their greatest need of the offseason earlier this week when they agreed to re-sign star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a five-year, $115.5MM contract. The focus now turns to the middle infield, where the Phillies haven’t found a replacement since shortstop Didi Gregorius became a free agent after last season. Gregorius is still on the open market – clearly the best shortstop option left in the wake of the deals Marcus Semien and Andrelton Simmons agreed to this week – but that doesn’t mean the Phillies will re-sign him.

In the event the Phillies don’t keep Gregorius, who was effective during what could be his lone season as a Phillie in 2020, they could choose to shift second baseman Jean Segura to short, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Should that happen, two league sources informed Lauber that the Phillies may pursue a second baseman in free agency. Lauber lists Kolten Wong, Jonathan Schoop and Jonathan Villar as possibilities for the club.

Among the Wong, Schoop and Villar trio, Wong stands out as the most valuable. The longtime Cardinal has typically blended excellent defense with passable offense. Schoop and Villar have been capable offensive cogs, meanwhile, though the latter is coming off a brutal season divided between the Marlins and Blue Jays.

In an ideal world, the Phillies will simply retain Gregorius, as Lauber reported Tuesday they want to keep Segura at the keystone. The soon-to-be 31-year-old Segura has extensive shortstop experience, including as recently as 2019, but he spent almost all of last season at second in the wake of the Gregorius acquisition.

Infield Notes: Phillies, Simmons, Wong, Tigers, Paredes

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The Phillies narrowed their focus on Andrelton Simmons before he signed with the Twins this afternoon, writes Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Didi Gregorius remains in play to return, but he may not be so keen on another one-year deal. Regardless, the Phillies prefer not to move Jean Segura back to short, notes Lauber. Even with Gregorius more-or-less the only remaining starting shortstop on the market, Segura’s presence, as well as Scott Kingery, means they don’t have to panic on an overpay. Should they ultimately strike out on Gregorius, Jonathan Villar and Hanser Alberto lurk as free agents, or the Phils could turn to the trade market to make a play for either Trevor Story of the Rockies or Javier Baez of the Cubs. Neither club has seemed particularly likely to move their star shortstop, but Phillies’ president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski might be the guy to convince them. Let’s check in on some other infield news…

  • With middle infielders flying off the shelves, Kolten Wong is seeing an uptick in interest, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). The ace defensive second baseman has seen at least preliminary interest from the Tigers, Mariners, Rays, Cubs, Phillies, and Cardinals, with whom he’s spent his entire career. Wong’s power disappeared in 2020, slashing .265/.350/.326, but he won a second consecutive Gold Glove Award and continued to be an on-base presence for the Cardinals. Wong has quietly posted 3.3 bWAR per 600 plate appearances throughout his career, and as he enters his age-30 season, he could prove one of the more impactful free agents remaining on the market.
  • The Tigers plan on experimenting with Isaac Paredes at second base, writes Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Paredes is penciled in as the Tigers’ everyday third baseman, but manager A.J. Hinch said basically that there is no harm in expanding the 21-year-old’s skill set. He’s been on fire playing winter ball, and with Jeimer Candelario having a big season in 2020 (and Spencer Torkelson on his way to claim one of the infield corners,) it’s certainly worth testing the limits of Paredes’ defensive abilities.

 

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