Something in the water?

Jean Segura is the latest Marlins newcomer to see his production plummet upon arriving in Miami

“It’s no secret. It’s been a tough year for me.

“It really sucks. It’s one of the worst feelings I’ve ever felt in my career. To not be able to produce or help the team, to be the kind of player I’ve always been at the major league level. I can’t explain how terrible I feel and how bad it’s been.

“I don’t even know what’s going on. Mechanically, mentally, physically. It could be any of those 3 things. I don’t really know. I need to figure it out soon.”

—Jean Segura after going 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts and getting ejected from last night’s 5-2 Marlins loss to the D-Backs

Marlins third baseman Jean Segura was ejected by home plate umpire Mark Ripperger after arguing a called third strike in the 6th inning last night in Phoenix.

The Marlins signed third baseman Jean Segura to a 2-year, $17 million deal in January not because they expected the 33-year-old to single-handedly elevate what’s been, by most measures, the worst offense in MLB over the last 5 years but because they expected the 12-year veteran to be what he’s always been.

And that would have hopefully made him part of the offensive solution.

The 2-time All-Star entered the year a .285 career hitter and the owner of nearly 1,500 lifetime hits. For more than a decade with 5 clubs, he’s been an every-day player who averages 21 doubles and 10 homers and has a reputation for grinding out at-bats and rarely striking out.

But Segura’s first 6 weeks as a Marlin have been a nightmare, leading to his soul-searching comments after an 0-for-3, 3-strikeout game last night in Phoenix that left him 3-for-30 in his last 9 games. He was ejected for the first time in his big league career last night, tossed for arguing a called third strike in the 6th inning.

In 33 games, the Miami third baseman is batting .186 with a .233 OBP and a .212 slugging percentage. He has 3 doubles, no homers, 3 RBI and the 2nd-highest K rate of his career.

Segura’s OPS+ of 25 (with 100 being league average and 25 meaning he’s 25 percent of league average) is dead last in MLB, 170th out of 170 qualifying players. In fact the last qualifying player with an OPS+ as low or lower than Segura’s was Del Young, who recorded an OPS+ of 23 for the 1937 Phillies.

Meanwhile, the Marlins are again dead-last in runs scored in MLB as we approach the one-fourth mark of the season.

But watching Segura’s struggles continue last night, I was thinking not just about him but about the countless other players who’ve arrived in Miami over the last decade with a track record of success who have flamed out upon putting on the Marlins uniform.