Major League Baseball

Brewers want Segura long term

Published May. 14, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

Ken Rosenthal

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura has played only 80 games in the majors, but club officials already know they want him to be part of the team’s long-term future.

In fact, they knew it about a month ago.

It was around that time that the Brewers offered Segura a long-term contract, according to his agent, Joe Klein.

No deal is close, Klein said — in part because Segura, 23, is at such an early stage of his career, it’s difficult to gauge his long-term value.

“They contacted me,” Klein said of the Brewers. “Right now, I guess it’s in my court. But with a guy this young, it’s hard to figure out what the right numbers would be.

“It would be good, be nice if it was possible to do. But I don’t know. It’s way, way on the drawing board.”

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said, “We do not want to comment on discussions in-season. It can be disruptive.”

Segura, rapidly emerging as an All-Star candidate, is batting .368 with a 1.000 OPS, six homers, 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts. The Brewers also have been impressed with his defensive play and infectious energy.

The team has signed left fielder Ryan Braun through 2020 and catcher Jonathan Lucroy and center fielder Carlos Gomez through ’16.

Segura could join that core.

“He’s obviously doing well — he’s one of the better shortstops out there now,” Klein said. “He’s not focused (on a contract). He’s focused on playing. He’s just doing his thing. He’s OK with however it goes.”

Segura is earning $492,000 this season, just over the major league minimum. A recent profile of him in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel noted that he sends money home to his family in the Dominican Republic.

“I’ll tell you right now, if I don’t make it in baseball, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Segura told the Journal-Sentinel. “Because I don’t think I was going to go back to school.

“I was always taking care of them when I came here. Even in the minor league when you don’t get too much money, I save as much as I can and help my family. They are a part of my life. I’m here for them. All the hard work that I do.”