Mariners ink SS Segura to 5-year contract extension

The Seattle Mariners signed shortstop Jean Segura to a five-year contract extension on Wednesday.

Terms of the agreement covering the 2018-2022 seasons were not disclosed but the deal reportedly is worth $70 million, and includes a no-trade clause and a $17 million club option for 2023.

“Over the past two seasons, Jean has been one of the premier offensive players in baseball,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “His combination of average, power and speed is extremely difficult to find, especially as a top-of-the-lineup hitter at a key defensive position like shortstop.

“We are all quite excited about having him here with the Mariners and believe he is a key ingredient in our ongoing effort to build a championship level roster.”

The Mariners acquired Segura in a five-player trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks in November.

In his first season with the Mariners, the 27-year-old Segura is hitting .341 with four home runs, 20 RBIs, a .391 on-base percentage and a .852 OPS in 43 games.

Segura, despite two stints on the disabled list this season, leads the American League in batting, is tied for fifth in multi-hit games (20), seventh in on-base percentage and ninth in hits (62). He is hitting .338 against right-handed pitching this year, tops in the AL, and .350 against left-handers, ninth in the league.

Segura was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday after he sustained a high right ankle sprain on a slide into second base in Thursday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. In his first stint on the DL, he suffered a hamstring injury in April and missed 12 games.

Manager Scott Servais said Tuesday that Segura no longer has a protective boot but has yet to resume baseball activities. There is no timetable for his return.

“I’m optimistic. I don’t think he’s going be out as long as was initially said,” Servais said. “But, that’s just going off what Jean’s telling me and what he’s feeling. Sometimes the last part of the rehab with the high ankle sprain can be the most difficult when you start doing the cutting and lateral movement.”

Since the start of the 2016 season, Segura ranks fourth in the major leagues in hits (265) and fifth in batting average (.324). Among leadoff hitters during that same span, he leads the majors in doubles (48) while ranking second in extra-base hits (79) and fifth in RBIs (83).

In 2016 with Arizona, Segura hit .319 with 203 hits, 102 runs, 41 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs, 64 RBIs and 33 steals in 153 games. His on-base percentage of .368 and slugging percentage of .499 gave him an OPS of .867. Segura, who played 142 games at second base and 23 at shortstop last season, finished 13th in the National League MVP voting.