Baltimore trades Jonathan Villar to Miami Marlins

Earlier this week, the Miami Marlins announced that the club acquired infielder Jonathan Villar from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Minor League left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas. To make room on Miami’s roster, infielder JT Riddle and right-handed pitcher Tayron Guerrero were designated for assignment. Riddle has been non-tendered by the Marlins.

Villar, 28, batted .274 (176×642) with 33 doubles, 24 home runs, and 73 RBI in 162 games for Baltimore last season. The switch-hitter also posted 40 stolen bases and 111 runs scored, ranking third in the American League in steals, and fifth in runs scored. His stolen base percentage of 81.6 (49 attempts) ranked fifth in the AL, and his 176 hits tied Boston’s Mookie Betts for ninth.

A native of La Vega, Dominican Republic, Villar is a .261 hitter in 779 career games, with 132 doubles, 15 triples, 78 home runs, and 268 RBI. He also has 202 stolen bases in 54 attempts (78.9 percent). He had a career-best 62 stolen bases for the Brewers in 2016. Only Juan Pierre (68 in 2010) and Dee Gordon (64 in 2014) have posted better single-season marks since 2010.

A majority of Villar’s games have been played at shortstop (385 games) and second base (333), but he has also seen time at third base (54) and in the outfield (13).

In more Marlins’ news, the team also claimed All-Star infielder Jesús Aguilar off waivers from Tampa Bay. Aguilar, 29, split 2019 between the Brewers and Rays, combining to hit .236 (74×314) with 12 doubles, 12 homers, and 50 RBI in 131 games. He was a National League All-Star in 2018 with Milwaukee, when he set career highs in games (149), runs scored (80), doubles (25), home runs (35), and RBI (108).

Also in 2018, Aguilar ranked tied for fifth in the NL in home runs and tied for fourth in RBI, and had two home runs and five RBI in 10 postseason games for the Brewers. A native of Maracay, Venezuela, Aguilar has appeared in 307 games at first base in his career, and in nine at third base.