Christian Villanueva Player Card | Baseball Prospectus

Christian Villanueva

1B/2B

Age: 33

Birth Date: 1991 Jun 19

Birthplace: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 210 lb.

B/T: Right/Right

Season	G Games	PA Plate Appearances	WARP Wins Above Replacement Player	DRC+ Deserved Runs Created plus - Measures batter contributions, not just results. 100 is average. Higher is better, lower is worse.	SD± DRC+ Standard Deviation - Our measure of uncertainty surrounding a player’s DRC+	DRAA Deserved Runs Above Average - DRC+ converted to runs	BRR Base Running Runs - Measures the number of runs contributed by a player's advancement on the bases -- opportunity and park adjusted	DRP Deserved Runs Prevented - Total summary of all fielding contributions
Career	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Current Season	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

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2018-11-21 : San Diego Padres released 3B Christian Villanueva.
2018-11-20 : San Diego Padres designated 3B Christian Villanueva for assignment.
2017-09-18 : San Diego Padres selected the contract of 3B Christian Villanueva from El Paso Chihuahuas.
2016-12-12 : San Diego Padres signed free agent 3B Christian Villanueva to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
2016-12-02 : 3B Christian Villanueva elected free agency.
2015-10-05 : Chicago Cubs recalled 3B Christian Villanueva from Iowa Cubs.
2014-09-29 : Chicago Cubs recalled Christian Villanueva from Tennessee Smokies.
2013-09-30 : Chicago Cubs recalled Christian Villanueva from Tennessee Smokies.
2012-11-20 : Chicago Cubs selected the contract of Christian Villanueva from Daytona Cubs.
2012-07-31 : Chicago Cubs traded RHP Ryan Dempster to Texas Rangers for RHP Kyle Hendricks and 3B Christian Villanueva.
2012-03-29 : 3B Christian Villanueva assigned to Texas Rangers.

Date On When the player was placed on IL or injured	Date Off When the player was activated from IL or returned	Transaction Action taken by team	Days Total days missed by player	Games Approximate team games missed by player	Side The side of the body where the injury occurred	Body Part The part of the body where the injury occured	Injury A description of the injury
2018-08-22	2018-10-01	10-DL	40	-	Right	Digit 3	Fracture
2018-06-04	2018-06-05	DTD	1	-	Left	Ankle	Contusion
2018-04-24	2018-04-27	DTD	3	-	Not Known	Hamstring	Soreness
2018-04-19	2018-04-20	DTD	1	-	Left	Hand	Contusion
2017-04-06	2017-05-04	Minors	28	-	Not Known	Not Disclosed	Not Disclosed
2016-03-25	2016-11-03	60-DL	223	-	Right	Fibula	Fracture
2016-02-28	2016-03-25	Camp	26	-	Right	Fibula	Fracture
2014-06-30	2014-07-08	Minors	8	-	Left	Calf	Strain
2009-06-09	2009-08-22	Minors	74	-	Not Known	Knee	Other

1 year/$0.5485M (2018). Re-signed by San Diego 3/18. DFA by San Diego 11/20/18.
1 year (2017). Signed by San Diego 12/12/16 (minor-league contract). Contract selected by San Diego 9/18/17.
1 year (2016). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/4/16. Non-tendered by Chicago Cubs 12/2/16.
1 year (2015). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/5/15.
1 year (2014). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/3/14.
1 year (2013). Contract purchased by Chicago Cubs 11/20/12. Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/4/13.
Acquired by Chicago Cubs in trade from Texas 7/31/12.
Signed by Texas 2008 as a free agent from Mexico.

Year Contract Year	Age Seasonal Age	Team Signing Team	Salary Salary or other detail	Service Time Accured service time
2014	23	CHN	0	-
2015	24	CHN	0	0
2016	25	CHN	$507,500	1.000
2017	26	SDN	0	1.014
2018	27	SDN	$548,500	2.013
Total			$1,056,000	2.013

Year	Comments	Buy now
2019	One of the merits of a non-contending season is that managers can give 400 at-bats to the long-overlooked but vaguely-appealing fringe prospect. The job often proves too much for the player, but at least teams can say they kicked the tires on the Asuajes and Pirelas of the world. Occasionally though, you get a year like Villanueva’s 2018 season, one that raises more questions than it resolves. The Mexican third baseman smoked the ball for two months out of the chute, bashing 15 homers in the season’s first 50 games. He cooled considerably from there though, and both his minor league track record and lofty whiff rate suggest he was playing a bit above his head early on. The Padres evidently decided that Villanueva was a riddle not worth solving, as they sold his rights to the Yomiuri Giants of NPB.	Buy it now
2018	While it’s tough to call Villanueva a prospect, his advanced age may be a bit deceptive. The third baseman missed all of 2016 due to a freak broken leg suffered during offseason workouts. He brings solid hot-corner defense and past flashes of playable pop to the table, and will head into 2018 hoping for an extended look at the highest level.
2017	At 25, it’s go time for Christian Villanueva. He’s worked his way steadily up the system, showcasing a great glove and moderate pop, giving him a chance to provide value at the hot corner or as a bench bat.
2016	Not long ago, Villanueva looked like a solid prospect, briefly blipping onto Baseball America's list as Mr. 100. He arrived in the Cubs' organization along with Kyle Hendricks in the Ryan Dempster trade, and while he wasn't the blue chip of that deal, he had a strong minor-league history and age on his side. Now stagnation has his age creeping to... well, not on his side, his minor-league numbers have been weak two seasons running and—biggest of all—Kris Bryant is firmly entrenched at third base in the majors. Villanueva carries a reputation as a strong defender and has shown decent pop, so on another team you might see a path toward a starting job, if not exactly a slew of All-Star bids. The name "Luis Valbuena" springs to mind.
2015	Villanueva has always wowed scouts with his glove, earning praise for his work at the hot corner, but after a breakthrough 2013 with the bat, he struggled at Triple-A and was demoted back to Tennessee to make way roster space for Kris Bryant. Like Matt Dominguez, Villanueva could find himself on a major-league roster sometime in 2015 on the strength of his defense alone. (For Villanueva's sake, pretend we're talking about 2013's above-average Dominguez, not 2014's below-replacement Dominguez.) His swing could benefit from some significant rework, but there's still time for him to do so without destroying his chances for a career.
2014	The Rodney Dangerfield of Cubs prospects, all Villanueva did last year in his first taste of the upper minors was hit more doubles and extra-base hits than anyone else in Double-A, launch 19 home runs and flash Gold Glove-quality defense at the hot corner. Yet there are those who dislike his hitchy swing, see little power projection in his slim frame and fret over the utility of his hit tool. Villanueva may not have the highest ceiling, but his mature approach, gap power, proven production and solid makeup give him a better chance to reach it than most 22-year-olds.
2013	Acquired from the Rangers for Ryan Dempster, Villanueva is an impressive defender who can do some damage at the plate as well. He's unlikely to be a star in the big leagues, and he's not the typicl slugging third baseman, but he profiles to hit for average in the majors with decent on-base and slugging. Scouts credit him with a mature approach, and if he does well at Double-A it could be a short jump to the majors.
2012	Slick-fielding third baseman Christian Villanueva put his name on the prospect map in 2011, showing power, a plus defensive skill-set at the hot corner, and polish beyond his 20 years.
2011	Mexico native Christian Villanueva more than held his own in his stateside debut, hitting .314 in the rookie Arizona League while showing off an already-plus glove and strong arm at third.

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