MLB Trade: Astros trade Jonathan Villar to Brewers for Cy Sneed
The Houston Astros have traded middle infielder Jonathan Villar to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league pitcher Cy Sneed.
The Houston Astros offseason is off to a running start as they announced that they have traded utility infielder Jonathan Villar to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitcher Cy Sneed. The Brewers traded for Villar a day after trading closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers for minor league shortstop Javier Betancourt.
Brewers trade for another middle infielder. This time it's Jonathan Villar, acquired from the Astros for MiLB righty Cy Sneed.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) November 19, 2015
The Brewers came into this offseason needing to improve their middle infield. Their second, baseman Scooter Gennett, had an OPS of just .675 while shortstop Jean Segura had an embarrassing OPS of just .616. Jonathan Villar gives the Brewers a cheap middle infield option in case Gennett and Segura continue to struggle.
Villar is coming off his best MLB season of his career. He only played in 53 games, but he has a career-high OPS of .753 and flourished in a bench role. He gives the Brewers a fast middle infielder who can start in a pinch. Because of his defense and base running, Villar is likely a better fit in the National League than the American League.
Sneed is a 22-year-old starting pitcher who is coming off an impressive showing in Single-A ball. He had an ERA of 2.58 in 2015, splitting his time between the Brewers A club and their A+ club. He struck out 55 batters in 62 innings. Sneed was recently ranked as the Brewers 26th best prospect by Reviewing The Brew (Fansided’s Brewers blog).
"His biggest improvement from this season to last season’s debut was his ability to fill-up the strike zone and keep the ball in the park. After finishing last year averaging over three walks per nine innings, Sneed walked just 28 batters in almost 140 innings this year. He also kept the ball in the park, allowing just two home runs all year long. – Reviewing The Brew"
Pretty even trade for both sides. Jonathan Villar had outlived his worth in Houston and will provide Milwaukee with value off the bench. The Astros get another young arm.