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After such an active offseason with several high-profile moves, the Arizona Diamondbacks as a team have a lot to prove to ensure all the money spent and prospects traded aren’t wasted. However, the one player with the most to prove may be one of Arizona’s most recent acquisitions in shortstop Jean Segura.
The Diamondbacks traded for Segura with the hope of bolstering what was previously a light-hitting middle infield made up of Chris Owings and Nick Ahmed. However, Segura filling that need as an offensive-centric middle infielder is far from a guarantee. After a breakout season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2013, Segura has been a disappointment in each of the past two seasons, posting an OPS of .614 in 2014 and .616 last season. Those numbers are no better than what Ahmed did at the plate last season, as he put up more impressive power numbers.
After the trade, it was assumed that Segura would be Arizona’s starting shortstop in 2016, with Ahmed being relegated to a backup role. But that’s not necessarily the case. The Diamondbacks would certainly like Segura to be their shortstop, as they believe that with better hitters around him than he had in Milwaukee and in a more hitter-friendly park he can recapture the offensive prowess he had in 2013. However, Segura still has to prove he’s Arizona’s best option at shortstop.
Heading into spring training, Ahmed is the incumbent at shortstop for the Diamondbacks, and despite Arizona going out of its way to bring in Segura, he still has to impress his new manager and teammates if he hopes to assert himself as the team’s everyday shortstop. If Segura wants to win the starting job and keep it throughout the course of the season, he needs to make a good first impression with his new team during spring training. If he doesn’t prove beyond a doubt that he’s the best shortstop on Arizona’s roster, he could find himself struggling to hold onto his job all season.
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