The Cleveland Guardians are trading Josh Bell to the Miami Marlins for infielder Jean Segura and infield prospect Kahlil Watson.
Shortly after the deal was announced, Guardians president Chris Antonetti confirmed Segura would be released prior to reporting.
The deal, made just ahead of Tuesday’s league trade deadline, sees Bell exit Cleveland less than eight months after signing a two-year deal worth $33 million. The switch-hitting 30-year-old was batting .233 with 11 home runs and 48 runs batted in this season.
“Josh showed some signs of being a really good offensive player,” Antonetti commented in a Tuesday press conference following the deadline’s passing. “But he had a tough time maintaining that momentum for any long stretches. I still think there’s a good hitter in there. I think he’s got a chance to help the Marlins offensively, but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way we expected during the first few months of the contract.”
Following an offseason that saw the Guardians attempt to add slugging to its lineup with the likes of Bell and Mike Zunino, the club now sees both of those players ousted just before the final two months of the regular season.
“It didn’t work out,” said Antonetti. “When you make those investments, you hope they work out and have productive seasons. Unfortunately - especially, in Mike’s case, it didn’t happen. I think he was still impacted by his continued recovery from his [thoracic outlet syndrome] surgery. In Josh’s case, he did have moments where he contributed and certainly helped provide leadership and stability in the clubhouse, but, maybe didn’t deliver in the way we hoped or expected at the time we signed him. That’s part of the risk when you venture into free agency, that the contracts don’t work out the way you hope. In this case, I think we were able to bring back a player in Kahlil that we think has an exciting future.”
Watson, 20, was the Marlins’ 2021 first-round draft selection (16th overall) following his high school career at Wake Forest (N.C.). Primarily operating at second base and shortstop, Watson posted a .394/.524/.606 slash line in 2021, with three doubles, two triples, five RBIs and four stolen bases over nine games. The following season, Watson was suspended after pointing his bat at a umpire and making a shooting gesture after striking out in a Jul. 1 game with Single-A Jupiter.
This season, Watson has slashed .210/.337/.390, with nine home runs, 24 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases between Beloit (Midwest League) and the Marlins’ Florida Complex League squad.
“We certainly feel he has the athleticism to play multiple positions,” Antonetti added on Tuesday. “That was one of the attractive elements in acquiring him. There’s a chance he could impact us in a number of different places.”
When asked about reports of potential concerns involving Watson’s maturity, Antonetti responded: “We’ve done the due diligence there. The best I can say is that it’s a work in progress. Kahlil joined professional baseball right out of high school, and there may have been some bumps along the way in his maturation and development, but we’re encouraged by some of the progress he’s made recently. We’re excited to bring him into our organization and culture, and hopefully help him on that path once he develops and matures.”
Segura, a two-time All-Star (2016, ‘18) with the Philadelphia Phillies, will not report to Cleveland. The 33-year-old played 85 games at third base for Miami this season, posting a .219 batting average, three home runs, and 21 RBIs, along with six stolen bases.
Segura will be owed the remainder of his $8.5 million salary for this season, plus a $2 million buyout in 2025.
The Tuesday trade was the final pre-deadline swap the Guardians made over the final days of July. Cleveland also acquired infield prospect Kyle Manzardo from Tampa Bay on Monday in exchange for starter Aaron Civale, while also trading shortstop Amed Rosario to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-hander Noah Syndergaard last Wednesday.