Oakland A’s: Three options to shore up the middle infield
By Nick Stevens
Jonathan Villar is a rebound option for the Oakland A’s.
The Oakland A’s have some viable options currently on the roster if they elect to stand pat and piece together a lineup each night, but if they want to compete for a divisional title then addressing the shortstop position specifically would be a big boost.
Unfortunately, the free agent options are severely limited at this point. The top name available is Jonathan Villar.
Villar’s defense is questionable, but he can play either second or shortstop full-time and has experience at third base and in the outfield. He’s also coming off a down 2020 season and hasn’t been involved in very many rumors this offseason, certainly leading to an eventual team-friendly deal for someone.
The 29-year-old switch-hitter played in all 162 games as recently as 2019. He put together a career-year with the Orioles that year, hitting 24 home runs and swiping 40 bags with a career-high 4.1 fWAR. Despite being Baltimore’s top hitter that year, the Orioles shipped him off to Miami for a minor league pitcher instead of paying him in arbitration.
Villar struggled last season with Miami and Toronto, hitting .232 with a career-low wRC+ of 66 and just two home runs.
A normal year for Villar is a league-average hitter with good pop in his bat and the ability to steal 30+ bases. It’s reasonable to believe that 2020 was just a weird year for Villar and his versatility could be an asset for the Oakland A’s.