Cubs: 5 players who should already be on the trade block
By Tim Boyle
Cubs infielder Jonathan Villar is a depth piece any contender should want to get their hands on
The Cubs signed Jonathan Villar to an interesting contract over the offseason. In 2022, his contract pays him $4.5 million. There is a mutual option for 2023 where the Cubs could choose to pay him $10 million or buy him out for $1.5 million. The $10 million would be more than Villar has ever received in any single season before. Now a part-time player who looks like he could work his way into far more starts for Chicago this year, it’s still hard to imagine any team wanting to pay him $10 million.
Essentially, this boils down to the Cubs having signed Villar to what could be considered a $6 million deal. Any team that would trade for him would be on the hook for the buyout or $10 million option for 2023 which does make him a little less palatable.
However, nobody knows better than the Cubs how far a team needs to go in order to secure a championship. Teams with long droughts or zero championships shouldn’t balk at trading for a guy over a few measly million dollars.
Villar has spent his early part of the season with the Cubs playing all over the infield. A season after playing a ton of third base for the New York Mets but also moving around the diamond along the way, the Cubs are not letting Villar get locked into one spot just yet. He’s great injury insurance and someone they’ll have to hope can help keep them in contention or at least get swapped at the trade deadline for a minor league lottery ticket.