The Phillies should have signed this versatile free agent
The Phillies should have signed infielder Jonathan Villar
Infielder Jonathan Villar is in agreement on one-year, $6M deal with the Chicago Cubs, and the affordability and savviness of said signing begs the question:
Why didn’t the Philadelphia Phillies offer him the same thing?
Villar is only 30 years old, plays multiple infield positions at which the Phillies are extremely weak defensively, and has extensive experience in the National League with the Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, and New York Mets. He would have been a perfect (and affordable) bolster for this unbalanced lineup and weak infield setup.
Seriously, look at the current game plan:
They can’t possibly be this bad at this https://t.co/iyinGJi6Ze pic.twitter.com/sk7jP6aeG8
— Robert Orr (official) (@NotTheBobbyOrr) March 16, 2022
Top infield prospect Bryson Stott aside – since his debut timetable is unclear – the current infield setup will not win games, defensively or offensively. The 40-man depth chart‘s infield selection currently boasts Matt Vierling, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, Scott Kingery, Alec Bohm, and Didi Gregorius, which isn’t exactly a diamond to write home about.
Villar hit .249/.322/.416 with a .738 OPS, 18 doubles, two triples, and 18 home runs across 142 games on the Mets in 2021. Had he been on the Phillies last year, he would have led the squad with 14 stolen bases.
How much payroll space do the Phillies have under the CBT?
Even with the one-year additions of Corey Knebel ($10M), Jeurys Familia ($6M), Brad Hand ($6M), Odúbel Herrera ($1.75M), and Kyle Schwarber’s four-year, $79M contract, the Phillies had space under the luxury tax (approximately $10M) to afford what the Cubs will pay Villar and still have some spare change left over.
