The Mets signed Jonathan Villar to be a utility player last year, but he stepped in as a starter due to a barrage of injuries and wound up being a pleasant surprise during the 2021 season.
Now, according to a report from baseball writer Tenchy Rodriguez, the Mets are showing interest in re-signing Villar.
In 142 games, Villar slashed .249/.322/.416 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. The majority of his playing time came at third base due to J.D. Davis' season-long lingering hand injury.
The Mets brought in Villar on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last offseason, which proved to be a bargain given the production he saw. Now, he is setup to receive a substantial raise this upcoming winter.
While it would be a wise decision to retain Villar to be a key bench piece again, the Mets must still look to upgrade at the hot corner position.
Not to mention, whoever they bring in to run the baseball operations department will likely have the final say on personnel decisions, which doesn't necessarily guarantee Villar's return.
It is also uncertain whether the Mets will make this move prior to hiring a president of baseball operations. But the current brass they have in place are still holding internal discussions regarding their offseason plans.
And due to Thursday's report, it sounds like Villar is on their list of priorities. Whether that changes after they fill the POBO role remains to be seen.
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