NY Mets: 3 players who have won bigger big league roles next season

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 31: Brandon Drury #35 of the New York Mets is mobbed by his teammates after his game winning hit against the Cincinnati Reds in the tenth inning at Citi Field on July 31, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 31: Brandon Drury #35 of the New York Mets is mobbed by his teammates after his game winning hit against the Cincinnati Reds in the tenth inning at Citi Field on July 31, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Aug 12, 2021; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jonathan Villar (1) runs the bases after hitting a two run home run during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

Jonathan Villar will be tough to keep after the year he has had

Jonathan Villar signed a one-year deal with the Mets this offseason following a rough season in 2020. A well-known name from his early days with the Milwaukee Brewers and pretty awesome 2019 campaign with the Baltimore Orioles, it was a superb addition to the club’s bench.

Villar hasn’t ridden the pine nearly as much as any of us thought. He has been one of the team’s most active players and vital to ensuring there wasn’t a season-long hole at third base.

Although his season totals aren’t about to win him a future job as a starter for a contender team, I can see Villar as an everyday player on a club hoping to overcome the odds. At best, maybe he becomes part of a platoon—maybe even with the Mets.

The third base situation in Flushing is temporary. We see Brett Baty hitting in the minors and his time for a promotion is quickly approaching. Unlikely to happen at the start of next season, Baty is well on track to be the starting third baseman for this team by 2023. Could a Villar platoon with J.D. Davis at third base in 2022 be a temporary plan for the Mets?

The downside to this is that Villar would need a salary raise without actually getting much more playing time. I’m interested to see what the market for him looks like. As fun as he has been, he’s not one of the best third basemen in baseball or close to it.

However, he should have a bigger role somewhere in 2022.