Padres Rumors: Astros Jonathan Villar an Option for Padres?
The obvious need for the San Diego Padres is at the shortstop position. General Manager A.J. Preller has been scouring the trade market in attempt to gain a potential upgrade at the position. Nothing has come to fruition yet, but surely the Padres are going to make a move at some point.
Perhaps shortstop Jonathan Villar of the Houston Astros would be an option for the Padres. The Astros called up rookie phenom Carlos Correa today, and he is the obvious shortstop of the future for the team. Add to the fact the Astros signed Jed Lowrie to an off-season contract. Lowrie is currently hurt with a thumb injury, but should be back in the summer. Villar is very much expendable to the team. He could easily be attained by the Padres.
At the age of 24, the switch hitting Villar is still very raw, but he does have potential. He has a lot of speed, but has struggled to walk and get on base. Not a very good combination for a potential lead-off hitter. He could develop in time however, and has shown some improvement this year in the major leagues.
In 37 games and 91 at bats this season, Villar has a batting line of .264/.320/.374. He has stole four bases, scored 11 runs and hit one home run with seven RBI’s. Not fantastic numbers, but they are better numbers than what the Padres are presently getting out of the Barmes/Amarista combo. You cannot argue that.
Villar is not considered a prized prospect in the farm system of the Astros. They have one of the deepest farm systems in the game, and dealing him wouldn’t be a huge loss for the Astros. His defense on the field is viewed as average, but he does have a strong-arm and speed/range. Some question his decision-making, but he can easily fix that with some quality tutelage.
With that being said, the Padres could attain him for a minor league outfielder. Perhaps Abraham Almonte would interest the Astros? The Astros are reportedly looking for starting pitchers. They have been linked to Cole Hamels, and they possess the farm system to get a deal done. It remains to be seen if Hamels would want to pitch in Houston, and if a deal could be agreed upon.
With the Astros need for a starting pitcher, perhaps Andrew Cashner would interest them. Being a native Texan is something the Astros hold in high regard. The price tag on Cashner wouldn’t be cheap and the Astros would surely need to part with more than just Villar.
Could A.J. Preller work his magic and deal Cashner to the Astros for some of their young talent? It’s no secret the farm system of the Padres is depleted. The Padres top pick in this seasons draft which starts today is the 51st pick. They loss there top two picks with the signing of James Shields and the acquisition of closer Craig Kimbrel.
Cashner would easily command Villar and a couple of mid/top prospects. Would the Astros move Lance McCullers Jr in a deal? He would surely be of interest to the Padres, and his father McCullers Sr. was a Padres set-up man from 1985-1988. “The Baby Goose” was Rich Gossages chief setup man, before setup men were fashionable.
Cashner would provide the Astros with a major league ready pitcher in return for some prospects. Interesting idea, though Andrew Cashner would have to pitch better to make this potential deal a reality. He has been too inconsistent so far this season. Or the Padres could move some outfield depth in the minor leagues for Villar. Either way a deal could easily be consummated between these two teams.
Jonathan Villar would provide an upgrade for the Padres. Is he the shortstop of the future? Probably not. He would though, give the Padres a better player at a pivotal position. His speed is noteworthy, but Villar does have some deficiencies too. A.J Preller is most likely busy with all the draft preparation, but Padres fans suspect a trade should be near. We will just have to wait and see what road the Padres take.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
You were doing okay until you mentioned McCullers. Replace McCullers with another Astros prospect(or two) who isn’t already contributing at the major league level and you might have a workable deal.
Perhaps Cashner for Villar, Colin Moran, and Tony Kemp. Perhaps more if Cashner starts pitching better.
Interesting player, could be an upgrade…but i insist, the pads should give a try on Ramiro Peña, lets say, give him a month, if he does not convince, make the move….