Meet The New Guys: Jonathan Villar

On the August 31st trade deadline, the Blue Jays made several significant moves. However, utility man Jonathan Villar (29) was the biggest fish brought in by the team, coming from the Marlins in return for Griffin Conine, the organization's 16th rated prospect. He made his Jays debut on September 1st, slotting into the second spot in the order while playing shortstop, his natural position. Villar is capable of playing all around the diamond, having started games at second, third, short, and left field throughout his career, although he likely won’t hold much of a utility role unless absolutely necessary.

Villar spent 2019 with the Orioles, which may have made him a familiar name to many Jays fans. His best numbers came against Toronto, so he became fairly well known throughout the year as a very difficult competitor anytime he matched up against Toronto. With Baltimore in 2019, Villar hit .274 with a career high 24 home runs. He finished the year with a .792 OPS, 40 stolen bases, and -4 defensive runs saved as a shortstop (which is around league average). He is mostly known for his speed on the basepaths, which is an area in which the Blue Jays are severely lacking. However, speed is not his only strong suit, as he has more recently become known as an all around strong hitter.

The main downside of the trade for Villar is that he is on an expiring contract. The organization found no issue, as it contributed to a lower price, they have lots of cap space headed into the offseason, and can absolutely afford to re-sign him if they like what they see, and the main reasoning for the acquisition was the Bichette injury. With Bo out of the lineup, the Jays lost their starting shortstop, and a top of the order bat. Villar fills both needs, which is significant for a playoff run, because as good as Espinal has been, he isn’t capable of being an everyday major league shortstop at this point in his career.

When Bichette returns to the lineup, Montoyo has suggested that Villar would shift to second base, and Biggio would transition to third. Even when Bichette returns, Villar should remain at the top of the order, and a 1 2 3 of Bichette, Villar, and Biggio in any order is frightening. With Conine being the only piece headed the other way, this looks to be a quality trade for the team as they continue to fight their way into the playoffs.