SAN FRANCISCO — Once heralded as the Giants’ third baseman of the future, David Villar’s time with the organization is likely coming to an end.
Villar, 28, was designated for assignment Monday for the second time this season so that Casey Schmitt could be activated from the injured list. If he is not traded, Villar will have the opportunity to elect free agency rather than an assignment to Triple-A Sacramento.
Manager Bob Melvin said it was “hard” to deliver the news, but move didn’t come as a surprise to Villar, who was still at his locker when the home clubhouse opened to reporters before the Giants began a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals. Between texting his agent and sharing a hug with Schmitt, Villar said he enjoyed his time with the only organization he’s ever known but indicated he planned to explore other opportunities if he is given the chance.
“A lot of times that’s all it takes, a change of scenery,” Melvin said of Villar, who lost his primary position when the Giants signed Matt Chapman last offseason and had fallen behind other infielders such as Schmitt and Tyler Fitzgerald on the internal depth chart.
Teams will first have the chance to claim Villar on waivers or work out a trade with San Francisco. If he goes unclaimed and the Giants aren’t able to find a trade partner by next Monday, Villar would be able to become a free agent because he was already DFA’d and sent outright to Sacramento earlier this season.
Villar said he is confident that he will hear from other clubs on the open market and would even consider playing internationally, where the opportunities for players at the fringe of major-league rosters are often more lucrative. He said teams in Japan had expressed interest in the past but that the previous regime prevented him from exploring those opportunities.
The Giants fielded calls from interested teams when they designated Villar the first time, before Opening Day, but opted to keep him around in case a need arose on the infield. He was called up three weeks into the season in their first roster move of the year when Schmitt strained his left oblique in the batting cage, forcing him to miss 28 games before he was reinserted into the starting lineup Monday with left-hander Kris Bubic on the mound for the Royals.
Villar appeared in nine games, recording four hits in 20 at-bats (.200) as the right side of the platoon at first base. Since debuting in 2022, Villar flashed major-league power, with 15 homers and 17 doubles in 118 games, but failed to produce consistent results, batting .200 with a .683 OPS in 335 career at-bats.
It has been a different story at the Triple-A level, where Villar was named the Pacific Coast League MVP for slugging 27 homers in 2022. He initially brought the power stroke to the big leagues, blasting eight homers between September and October, and was declared the incumbent third baseman entering the next spring. He struggled at the plate and eventually lost the job to J.D. Davis, who was supplanted by Matt Chapman before last season.
In 15 games with the River Cats this season, Villar batted .368 with a double and a homer for a .888 OPS.
“I think he had a little different perspective when he cleared waivers, went back down, came with a good attitude, did well (and) got back to the big leagues,” Melvin said. “So I think there’s more of a light at the end of the tunnel for him. The first time you get designated, it can feel pretty ominous. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
Verlander battles pec issue
Justin Verlander remains on track to make his next start, scheduled to come Friday against the Nationals, Melvin said before Monday’s game.
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Verlander, 43, said he was “dealing with something physically” after he issued five walks and required 83 pitches to complete four innings in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the A’s. Melvin expanded a day later, adding that Verlander “had a little pec thing going on” but that “he feels a little better today.”
The Giants are off Thursday before they travel to Washington, D.C., giving Verlander an extra day of rest.
“I think he’s going to take it easy the next couple days and we’ll see how he’s feeling,” Melvin said. “Give it a day or two to calm down and hopefully we’re good to go.”
Also…
Jerar Encarnacion could begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week. Encarnacion, 27, fractured his hand in spring training and hasn’t appeared in a game this season but will begin swinging a bat on Tuesday, according to the club. He is eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list on Friday.