By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Newly named regular Phillies radio color analyst Kevin Frandsen — who joined the broadcast team in January 2018 following a nine-season career, two of which spent in red pinstripes — recently joined SportsRadio 94 WIP's Joe Giglio to discuss the latest happenings of the offseason.
With the annual Winter Meetings officially getting underway this week, rumors surrounding the Phillies interest in multiple free agents and acquirable trade assets are only bound to intensify. The club did not wait until Sunday to make a "splash," however, acquiring shortstop Jean Segura, RHP Juan Nicasio and LHP James Pazos from the Seattle Mariners for first baseman Carlos Santana and shortstop J.P. Crawford.
Frandsen said the Phillies "just stole everything" in their trade with the Mariners to acquire Segura.
"He's a hell of a ballplayer; he makes your team instantaneously better," Frandsen said. "Obviously, what Carlos Santana did last year average-wise wasn't good, but there were moments.
"He walked over 100 times, and still had good production."
Segura — a two-time All-Star who last season in the American League recorded the most singles and the third-most defensive assists — adds "so much" to the Phillies both offensively and defensively, Frandsen noted.
"There's a fight, there's a grind at the plate that he has. When he gets to two strikes, he doesn't just put the ball in play, he hits the ball hard," Frandsen said. "The Phillies got better."
According to FanGraphs, Segura had the fifth-best contact percentage (88.3) among all qualified batters last season, trailing only Michael Brantley (90.9), Ian Kinsler (88.8), Nick Markakis (88.8), and Alex Bregman (88.5).
Frandsen said trading away Crawford, the club's former top prospect, is a "good opportunity" for him to play in Seattle. "I wasn't sold on him," he said. "I've seen him for years — so I personally think it's a great deal. Win-win. Shortstop [is] a position where you can't have enough [of them]. You have Scott Kingery, who is a second baseman and can move over there [, too.] …
"It just makes sense. Everything makes sense. They got more athletic."
In addition to his excellent contact percentage, Segura likewise posted the fourth-best strikeout percentage (10.9 percent) among qualified batters, bested only by Andrelton Simmons (7.3), Brantley (9.5), and Victor Martinez (9.6).
For a Phillies team who collectively struck out the third-most in 2018, Segura will surely help the Phillies put more balls in play. Frandsen said he did not have a problem with the amount of times the Phillies struck out in their first season under Gabe Kapler, but rather how they struck out.
"For me, it was a lot of three-pitch strikeouts at times. Not a lot of foul-offs," Frandsen said. "Rhys had the ability to lengthen out an at-bat, and if he struck out, you're going 'that was a hell of an at-bat.'"
"Hitting is not easy, we all know that. But at times, you want to see a little more of a grind, maybe putting it in play just to see if you can create something. I get it. A part of the philosophy of the Phillies, Phillies hitters and staff, is creating damage, and that's all great. I fully believe that, but there are times where you do need to get the guy over.
Having a determined at-bat, determined approach to get guys over and in … that was kind of lacking at the end. It starts with guys up top."
Segura will wear No. 2, the same number Crawford donned for 72 games over two seasons. And while Crawford and Santana are no longer part of the Phillies' "bigger picture" to try and contend in 2019, the Phillies clearly benefited from the "win-win" trade that brought them Segura, Nicasio and Pazos.
