Indians: Jonathan Villar is a name to keep an eye on

The Cleveland Indians need a new second baseman and one potential option reportedly just hit waivers Wednesday afternoon.

Jason Kipnis is a free agent and the Cleveland Indians need a new man at second base. Could Jonathan Villar be that guy?

It is now a possibility after the Baltimore Orioles reportedly placed him on waivers in what is a surprising move.

The 28-year-old is fresh off a 4.0 WAR season with the lowly Orioles, providing a bright spot in another dim season. He appeared in all 162 games and hit 24 home runs, while driving in 73 runs.

MLB Trade Rumors has his projected arbitration figure at $10.4 million for 2020. He is set to be a free agent in 2021.

My only guess as to why the Orioles cut him loose is that they are in such a rebuild mode that they want someone even younger and far cheaper holding down second base. Though the team could have at least waited and made some sort of trade. Or tried one during the season when teams are even more desperate.

Alas, that team is a mess and years away from contention. Meanwhile, the Indians are still fighting for a World Series and should put in a claim on Villar.

If no one claims him, then Villar is a free agent. But that $10.4 million figure is more than fair based on his 2019 performance and if the Indians are going for it all in 2020 as that contention window begins to shut, this move is a no-brainer.

The Indians cannot sit around and do nothing at second base. My hope is that there is some sort of plan in place. Perhaps moving Jose Ramirez to second and targeting a big name at third base. But when a player like Villar is up for the taking, it doesn’t hurt to make the easy decision.

All fans want at this point is for the front office to act like it wants to win it all. Put in a claim at the least. If another teams gets him, oh well. At least we tried.

Villar has experience, power, base-stealing abilities, and appears to be durable. Replacing Kipnis at a cheaper one-year cost helps the team financially and avoids a drop-off at the position.

Anything to avoid another painful Opening Day lineup featuring players who will be gone after a few weeks.