Should New York Mets Bring Back Jonathan Villar?

Should New York Mets bring back Jonathan Villar?

The New York Mets have endured their best stretch of success since 2015, which was the last time they reached the World Series.

While things haven't been perfect (pitching staff injuries, lack of power beyond Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor, minimal offensive production from third base/DH spots), the Mets hold the best record in the National League at 47-27. 

Although the Mets are likely to target a bat ahead of the August 2 trade deadline in a little over a month, they can potentially take a flier on a familiar face and soon-to-be free agent veteran position player, who could help provide an instant boost to their offense in the interim. 

Old friend Jonathan Villar is about to become available once he clears waivers, and could return to the Mets to serve as another versatile utility man and DH option.

One year ago today, the #Mets signed Jonathan Villar to a one year deal.

Villar stepped up in the midst of a slew of injuries for New York and played in 142 games, while slugging 18 homers and being worth 2.1 fWAR. #LGM pic.twitter.com/z3KaoMoc1i

— Mets Legends (@MetsLegends) February 11, 2022

2/11/2021 The Mets sign Jonathan Villar to a one-year, $3.55 million contract. Initially signed as a bench piece, Villar played in 142 games with the Mets and hit .249 with 18 home runs. pic.twitter.com/bz83Lu7icC

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) February 11, 2022

Despite signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Chicago Cubs in the offseason, Villar was designated for assignment on June 24 after hitting .222 with a .598 OPS and -0.6 WAR in 46 games. He also committed eight errors in the infield and posted a league-worst -10 outs above average, per Baseball Savant. 

As rough as Villar's short stint was with the Cubs, it included a freak mouth injury that landed him on the injured list for several weeks. In his final nine games in Chicago, Villar was 7-for-28 (.250) with two RBIs, four walks and six runs scored.  His hard-hit rate was in MLB's 58th percentile as well. Regardless, the Cubs ultimately decided to DFA him once David Bote was ready to come off the IL over the weekend.

The Mets' offense leads baseball with 349 runs scored and is third in MLB with a .259 batting average (2nd with a .277 average with runners in scoring position). However, Eduardo Escobar (third base) and Dominic Smith (DH) have struggled, and J.D. Davis looks best suited for a part-time role. 

Following Robinson Cano's release, the DH platoon of Davis and Smith hasn't worked out for the Mets. So why not see if Villar can re-capture similar success, in which he endured in Queens a season ago? Escobar, who has been disappointing, slashing .225/.283/.380 with six home runs and 30 RBIs to begin his tenure as a Met, has a strong track record and should be given more time to figure things out at the plate. Villar could essentially receive an audition as DH in the month of July, and then continue to serve as a bench/utility piece once the Mets acquire a big bat ahead of the deadline. 

In 2021, Villar was one of the Mets' most productive hitters, slugging 18 home runs, driving in 42 RBI and positing a .738 OPS and 2.1 fWAR across 142 games. The 31-year-old also brings speed and can play third base, second base and shortstop. But the majority of his upside comes on offense, where he has pop as a switch-hitter. 

Bringing Villar back on a veteran minimum major league contract or minors deal would be a low-risk, high-reward situation. If he can re-discover his stroke from last year, it'd be a win for the Mets. And this wouldn't effect their deadline plans of targeting big sluggers that are expected to be available such as Josh Bell or Trey Mancini, among others.

Read More:

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- Why Max Scherzer Needs More Time Before Rejoining Mets Rotation

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