Trade Central: D-Backs, Brewers Make Five-Player Swap

THE DEAL

In the short term, the Brewers and Diamondbacks swapped big leaguers. Milwaukee traded incumbent shortstop Jean Segura to the Diamondbacks in a deal that brought back veteran second baseman Aaron Hill and righthander Chase Anderson.

But for Milwaukee, this deal is about the future.

By trading Segura, the Brewers have cleared the way for the team’s No. 1 prospect Orlando Arcia to be the team’s shortstop as soon as he’s ready (which should be pretty soon) or as soon as it’s contractually beneficial to call him up (which might take a little longer).

The swap also brings back shortstop/second baseman Isan Diaz, the No. 7 prospect in the Diamondbacks’ system at the time of the deal. Diaz won’t be playing shortstop in Milwaukee with Arcia ahead of him on the depth chart, but he was expected to eventually move to second base anyway, and he fits a need in a Brewers’ farm system that just keeps getting deeper and deeper.

BREWERS ACQUIRE
Isan Diaz, 2b/ss
Age: 19

The long-term key to this deal for the Brewers could be Diaz, a promising young middle infielder who dominated the Pioneer League in 2015. Diaz was named the MVP of the Pioneer League as he led the league in total bases, extra base hits and slugging percentage. Diaz is ready for full-season ball. It will be interesting to see if the Brewers keep him at shortstop for now. Diaz played second base only sporadically in the Diamondbacks organization, but scouts largely believe his fringy arm will necessitate a move to the other side of the second base bag. He has good first-step quickness. Diaz’s bat should handle the move to second as he has average power potential and solid barrel skills.

Club (League)	Class	AVG	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG
Missoula (PIO)	R	.360	68	272	58	98	25	6	13	51	34	65	12	.436	.640

Aaron Hill, 2b
Age: 33

Hill’s production has fallen off markedly in the past two seasons. At his best, Hill was a second baseman who could hit for average and power. But as he enters the final year of a contract that will pay him $12 million this year, his price tag now exceeds his production, which is why the Diamondbacks sent cash to the Brewers in the deal.

Club (League)	Class	AVG	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG
Arizona (NL)	MAJ	.230	116	313	32	72	18	0	6	39	31	54	7	.295	.345

Chase Anderson, rhp
Age: 28

Anderson is a back-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. He relies heavily on a quality changeup, mixing in his 88-92 mph fastball and a fringy curveball. His best attribute is his durability. He missed some time in 2011 with a flexor tendon issue and was sidelined for six weeks with a triceps strain, but otherwise he’s been ready to go whenever Arizona has called on him. He’s also inexpensive as he’s not yet arbitration eligible.

Club (League)	Class	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
Diamondbacks (AZL)	R	0	0	0.00	1	1	0	0	4	4	0	0	0	0	3	.250
Arizona (NL)	MAJ	6	6	4.30	27	27	0	0	153	158	75	73	18	40	111	.272

DIAMONDBACKS ACQUIRE
Tyler Wagner, rhp
Age: 25

In Wagner, the Diamondbacks are getting back a pitcher with a similar profile to Anderson, the pitcher they sent to Milwaukee in the deal. Wagner is younger, as he made his MLB debut in 2015 on the heels of an exceptional 11-5, 2.25 season at Double-A Biloxi. A closer at Utah before the Brewers selected him in the fourth round, Wagner has started all but three games in his four-year pro career. Wagner also sits 88-92 mph although he will reach back for more at times. Like Anderson, he profiles as a back-end starter with a fallback option as a middle reliever.

Club (League)	Class	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG
Biloxi (SL)	AA	11	5	2.25	25	25	152	130	45	38	7	45	120	.235
Milwaukee (NL)	MAJ	0	2	7.24	3	3	14	22	11	11	1	7	5	.386

Jean Segura, ss
Age: 25

Segura is the only member of the trio of prospects the Brewers received from the Angels in the Zack Greinke trade who panned out at all, but even in his case, his tenure in Milwaukee has to be considered a disappointment. Segura had an excellent first half to his first full season as the Brewers’ shortstop in 2013. He was hitting .325/.363/.487 at the all-star break as a 23-year-old, seemingly on his way to making Brewers’ fans forget that the team had traded Alcides Escobar and J.J. Hardy. But he struggled to hit the ball with the same authority in the second half of 2013. In the two years since, he’s shown himself to be an average hitter with little on-base skill or power, someone who fits better at the bottom of the lineup. Segura does hit better than incumbent Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed, but he’s not as smooth a defender as Ahmed.