A tale of two trades: Segura, Miller heading in opposite directions

The season is only two games old. It is way too early to conclude anything substantive from these games.

But ever since they were acquired in offseason trades, Jean Segura and Shelby Miller have been trending in opposite directions. This was on full display in last night’s win against the Rockies, as Segura went 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run while Miller allowed eight hits and six runs in six innings last night.

Segura was acquired from the Brewers in January, and had the best spring of his career; batting .469/.493/.703 in 19 games. He has looked every bit like the All-Star he was in 2013 as opposed to the sub-.300 on-base player he was the last two seasons.

Segura’s hot streak has carried into the first two games of the season, going 4-for-9. Over the long term, it is reasonable to believe that he could benefit from a change of scenery. Segura was never the same after his nine-month-old son passed away in 2014. His ex-manager, Ron Roenicke, echoed this sentiment in February. Roenicke said that Segura’s focus– for good reason– was often elsewhere after this incident. If he was associating Milwaukee with those tragic memories, it might help him now that he’s out– because he has a ton of talent.

On the other hand, Shelby Miller has been trending downward. He had a 4.79 ERA in 20.2 spring innings. Usually spring stats don’t matter, but they could be indicative of a Miller regression that began last season; he recorded a 3.77 ERA over his final 23 starts last season. That’s not the kind of ERA you’d typically trade your top two prospects and a .300 hitter for.

Only time will reveal Miller’s true capabilities, but these stats pose a logical argument that he is in the midst of a regression– and if Segura is really back to his All-Star form. But one thing is clear: Both players are heading in inverse directions.