SF Giants recall infielder David Villar, outright pair of southpaws
With big-league rosters expanding from 26 to 28 on September 1st, the SF Giants recalled infielder David Villar from Triple-A. They also added outfielder Lewis Brinson, who they acquired earlier in the week from the Astros. Left-handed pitchers Andrew Vasquez and Jonathan Bermudez were also outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, having cleared waivers after being designated for assignment.
Villar has been a breakout prospect in the Giants farm system over the past two years. He hit .275/.374/.507 in the extremely pitcher-friendly Eastern League in 2021 before tearing up the Triple-A competition at Sacramento this season. Across 84 Triple-A games, Villar has crushed 27 home runs and has one of the best triple-slashes in the league (.275/.404/.617).
A natural third baseman, Villar is a solid defender at the hot corner. However, the Giants have been working on his defensive versatility this season, giving him more experience at first and second base. He remains best at third but is now also a viable option on the right side of the infield.
Villar was called up earlier this season but struggled to replicate his impressive numbers against MLB competition. He is hitting .175/.338/.286 with just one home run in 80 plate appearances. While he did strike out in 28.8% of his trips to the plate, he also flashed impressive plate discipline, walking 16.3% of the time. As the season comes to an end, Villar will look to use that patience to begin driving the ball more frequently.
Bermudez is a 26-year-old left-handed starting pitcher who the Giants claimed off waivers from the Astros late in August. He struggled mightily this year at Triple-A, recording an ugly 8.96 ERA in 67.1 innings pitched with 65 strikeouts and 37 walks. Given his struggles, it would not be surprising to see the Giants move him to the pen in Sacramento.
Vasquez, on the other hand, has been a very effective reliever in the upper minors this season. Across 19 Triple-A appearances, Vasquez has racked up 27 strikeouts against just three walks alongside a 1.86 ERA in 19.1 innings pitched. Set to turn 29 in less than two weeks, though, Vasquez was walloped in his only big-league stint this season, posting an 8.10 ERA in nine appearances with the Blue Jays.
