SF Giants outright corner infielder off of 40-man roster, send to Sacramento

In a minor surprise, SF Giants corner infielder David Villar cleared waivers. He was not able to reject a minor league assignment, so he was sent outright to the Sacramento River Cats according to the team's transaction log.

SF Giants outright corner infielder off of 40-man roster, send to Sacramento

There is often a flurry of roster activity at the beginning of the year. Teams need to add players to the 40-man roster who performed well in spring training. To do so, they need to designate a player for assignment or transfer him to the 60-day injured list if applicable.

The Giants placed Villar on waivers at the end of spring training. He entered camp without any minor league options and was blocked at every position he plays. The odds of him making the team were low and likely would have required a couple of injuries.

Villar maintained an upbeat attitude, knowing that his time with the club was likely nearing an end. Playing time was sporadic at times this spring as the Giants prioritized seeing players they envisioned having a role in 2025. The right-handed bat tallied nine hits, including three home run, and five RBI in 45 Cactus League at-bats.

The Giants selected Villar in the 11th round of the 2018 draft out of the University of South Florida. Power was always a standout tool in his profile, and the glove was not considered a strength at the time of the draft.

The 28-year-old infielder did begin to show improvement at the hot corner during his time with the San Jose Giants in 2019. His bat took another step forward in 2021 when he registered a .275/.374/.507 line with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 446 plate appearances with the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Only a few hitters have even reached the 20-homer threshold with Richmond, and Villar was one of them. His performance at the plate in Triple-A became too much to overlook, so he earned a promotion to the major league team. He posted a .787 OPS with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 181 plate appearances down the stretch in 2022.

Villar entered the 2023 season as the everyday third baseman, but struggled at the plate and was quickly supplanted by J.D. Davis. Since then, he has shuttled to and from Sacramento.

In three seasons with the River Cats, he has slashed .268/.377/.511 with a 13.4 percent walk rate, 25.8 percent strikeout rate, and .243 ISO. Sacramento's bench is extremely light at the moment, so he should give the lineup a boost once he is activated.