The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a minor-league contract with former SF Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar, according to a report by Steven Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. Per Adams, Pillar will receive a $3 million base salary if he cracks the team's Opening Day roster. An 11-year MLB veteran, Pillar has played in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Giants, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta.
Pillar was Atlanta's primary fourth outfielder this past season, hitting .228/.248/.416 with 10 doubles, nine home runs, and four stolen bases in 206 plate appearances. Pillar appeared in exactly half of Atlanta's games (81), primarily in left field. Once an elite defensive center fielder, Pillar has seen time in center across recent seasons, but is no longer a great defensive option there.
Pillar spent the first several years of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays, who drafted him in the 32nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of Cal State Dominguez Hills. Debuting with the team in 2013, the righty's penchant for impressive defensive plays carried him to an everyday role as the Blue Jays center fielder by 2015. From 2015-2018, Pillar hit .263/.301/.401 with 50 home runs and 68 stolen bases.
With Pillar's defense beginning to show signs of decline, the Blue Jays traded him to the Giants for a package of three players (Derek Law, Allen Hansen, and Jorge De Paula) early in the 2019 season. While the 2019 Giants would finish well below .500, Pillar was one of their few consistent contributors. Despite spending the first week of the season in Toronto, Pillar still appeared in 156 games with the Giants, recording a .264/.293/.442 triple-slash with 37 doubles, three triples, and 21 home runs. His performance stood out to his teammates as well, earning him the lauded Willie Mac Award.
Even though Pillar had been a sizable contributor, the Giants non-tendered him following the season to avoid paying him a salary around $10 million in his final season of arbitration eligibility. Pillar ultimately signed a one-year, $4.25 million deal with the Red Sox and had an even better offensive season in 54 games between the Red Sox and Rockies during the pandemic-shortened campaign.
Pillar subsequently inked a one-year, $2.9 million contract with the Mets, the last time he received a big-league contract through free agency. Pillar was a perfectly fine role player, posting a .231/.277/.415 line with 15 home runs in 347 plate appearances (124 games). However, his declining defensive ability made it harder to justify giving him an everyday role.
In the seasons since, Pillar has inked minor league deals with the Dodgers and Atlanta. He appeared in just four big-league games during the 2022 season with the Dodgers before landing in Atlanta last offseason. Now, Kevin Pillar will look to earn a role with the White Sox in spring training.
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