Jean Segura and Mariners agree to five-year, $70-million deal

The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a $70 million, five-year contract with shortstop Jean Segura covering 2018-22, a deal that brings stability to what has been a position of flux for more than a decade.

Segura is making $6.2 million this year and would have been eligible for free agency following the 2018 season. The contract announced Wednesday calls for a $3 million signing bonus, a $9-million salary next season and $14.25 million in each of the following four years. Seattle has a $17-million option for 2023 with a $1-million buyout. Segura gets a full-no trade provision.

Segura was the centerpiece of one of Seattle’s biggest offseason moves, being acquired from Arizona as part of a five-player trade. After leading the National League in hits last season, Segura has not disappointed in his move to the American League. Despite two stints on the disabled list, Segura is leading the American League in hitting with a .341 average.

“Over the past two seasons, Jean has been one of the premier offensive players in baseball,” 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.”

Segura is currently out with a right high-ankle sprain that could keep him on the DL for up to a month. He also missed time in April with a hamstring injury.

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Right-hander Edwin Jackson will resume his lengthy major league career with Baltimore, which will be his 12th different big league team. The Orioles selected Jackson’s contract from triple-A Norfolk. The 33-year-old launched his career in 2003 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jackson is 93-114 with a 4.65 ERA in 361 games, including 275 starts. He pitched last year for San Diego, going 5-6 with a 5.89 ERA. … Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel has been scratched from his start at Kansas City due to an illness. Keuchel went out to warm up and then returned to the clubhouse. The left-hander just came off the disabled list on Friday after being sidelined by a stiff neck, and then pitched six scoreless innings in a win against Texas. Keuchel is 9-0 with a major league-leading 1.67 ERA in 11 starts. …

The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed catcher Francisco Cervelli on the seven-day concussion disabled list. The move was made Wednesday, one day after Cervelli left a 6-5 loss at the Orioles in the ninth inning when he took a foul ball off his face mask. Pittsburgh selected the contract of Jacob Stallings from triple-A Indianapolis to fill Cervelli’s roster spot. … Hector Neris is out as the Philadelphia Phillies’ closer. Manager Pete Mackanin says Neris needs to work on his splitter and Pat Neshek will take over in the ninth inning, at least on an interim basis. …

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Derek Norris denies a claim by his ex-fiance that he was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship and that he will cooperate with Major League Baseball’s investigation of the matter. Kristen Eck told the Tampa Bay Times that she left Norris last June, about eight months after a 2015 incident in which Eck said the player put her in a “choke-hold” and grabbed her hair and arms after she confronted Norris about talking to another woman. Norris said in a statement released before Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox that he wants to be “absolutely clear that abuse of any form, is completely unacceptable.”