The market for free-agent outfielder Kevin Pillar is “heating up,” tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, and the Red Sox and Pirates are among the clubs with interest in the 31-year-old.
Both Pittsburgh (Starling Marte) and Boston (Mookie Betts), of course, have completed trades shipping high-profile outfielders out of town. The Red Sox added an immediate option to step into Betts’ shoes, Alex Verdugo, but his acquisition gives the club three left-handed-hitting outfielders. Pairing Pillar with that trio would give the Sox an option at any of three outfield slots — and one who carries a respectable .281/.313/.453 career batting line against left-handed pitching. Notably, with Betts and David Price traded to the Dodgers, Red Sox ownership has accomplished its goal of dropping south of the luxury tax barrier; Boston is currently about $9.5MM shy of that $208MM cutoff point, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez.
The path to regular at-bats in Pittsburgh seems more direct for Pillar. Bryan Reynolds and Gregory Polanco are likely to roam two of the three outfield spots — likely the corners — and the Buccos’ other options are utilityman JT Riddle and reserve outfielder Guillermo Heredia. Prospect Jason Martin could eventually emerge as a spot, but he’s rehabbing from October surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and could be limited early in the year.
Pillar hit a career-best 21 home runs in 2019 and notched his fifth straight season with 14 or more steals. His once-elite glovework now grades out closer to average, but he should be at least a serviceable option in center and could yet see a rebound in that regard. However, Pillar also drew a walk in only 2.8 percent of his plate appearances, leading to a .287 on-base percentage that was the fourth-worst among all qualified hitters. Overall, Pillar’s .259/.287/.432 slash was 15 percent worse than league average by measure of wRC+ and 11 percent below average per OPS+.
Those lackluster on-base skills, the diminished defensive ratings and a projected $9.7MM salary (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) all surely played a role in the Giants’ decision to non-tender Pillar earlier in the offseason. He’s certainly in line to earn less than that projection at this point, but the veteran center fielder still seems like a candidate to land a Major League deal — be it in Boston, Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
i like keevin pellar. he has strong arm n good bat. he shuld bee a 6 of 11 on my skale uf battars named keven.
He is a declining defender and an obp sinkhole
Can you use spell check please?
Hes a troll
not a troll at all, it’s called being funny…you should try it sometime instead of auto-response of calling someone a troll
There’s nothing funny about writing like a slow 9-year-old.
Braveshomer are you sad because your Braves are going to suck this year
yeah well you’re the typical brain washed commentor that follows the herd as told…I chose to read it in Borat’s accent which is hilarious (please google Borat movie b/c its probably before you hit puberty)…vs. you reading it as a ‘Slow 9-year old’ as which you referred
good one Joegio! man you really got me with that one lol
Holy crap how did you possibly make that many typo’s/misspellings in one comment!?
read it slow and in a swedish accent…the spelling is actually spot on hahaha
actually Borat accent….graade successs!
@Jeff – tutored by pasha here on the site.
well done sir…..you has graaade successs typin n homeland cuntry akcent deeskussing keevin peelar batting with graaade successs!
Don’t feed the troll.
you Hall Monitors on here should try a little thing called Humor…even if he’s a ‘troll’ its funny…you Timmy Tube Socks Hall Monitors in your mom’s basement patrolling the comment board are way worse than any Troll on here hahaha
It’s not funny. Nobody thinks it’s funny but the troll and you. Either you or he are the only one to upvote his annoying comment. You may well be the same commenter.
Timmy Tube Socks strikes again smh
I’ve been hoping the sox would sign pillar.
Makes sense if verdugo isn’t ready to start the season and for a right handed bat.
Maybe JBJ is traded during the season for something. Both are similiar D players
JBJ is getting traded
Yes. JBJ will be traded. Then “Red Sox Nation” will cry and whine that the bag of baseballs wasn’t full enough, and the trade will be delayed until the other team tosses a few more in.
Wjf010- get a life
Why? He’s just a worse JBJ
$11m is why. Sox need a righty bat be it Pillar or someone else. He may have to choose between money/playing more and playing for a still contender if not a favorite. Imagine choosing the Pirates over the Red Sox because of money.
If the Sox are serious about an OF’der–reenter the Joc Pederson trade opportunity
Joc lost his case @$7.8–Tha’st $3 M less than JBJ.@ $11 M.
Maybe Pillar is in play for less and a RH bat.
They have three lefties Joc is a rental too like JBJ
Swap rentals
Yeah, he is a better option. Much higher OBP than Pillar
Joc costs something in trade. Pillar only costs money.
Sox are looking to not completely tank and lose NESN money/ratings, but, aren’t all in to win (cite to trading mookie).
Chaim is probably looking to kinda compete and hope for a wild card while building a stable of potential trade chips
Maybe Chaim thinks the fans will think it’s Kevin Millar…
Had exact same thought….lol
Thought the focus would be to add another starting P. They only have four, and two can’t be counted on health wise.
Which of the Walker, Buckholtz,Sanchez, McHugh, Vargas, Harvey, Cahill or Malone would you choose?
Trade front. But McHugh would be better than the hole they have now.
Kevin Pillar: 21 homers, 18 walks.
Has never had an OPS+ better than 95 and career its 87.
I suppose he’d be a solid 4th OF option for Boston and they definitely do need to do something about only having LH-hitting OFs (other than DH JD Martinez) but hopefully he’s not their ‘replacement’ option for JBJ – not that I’m even remotely a JBJ fan but I’m also not a huge Pillar fan… his defense has declined and he’s an awful OBP guy so anything more than a 4th OF I wouldn’t be thrilled about BUT having him as their 4th OF – a guy with a little bit of pop, decent on the bases and ability to play all 3 OF positions wouldn’t be a bad thing!
Well he’ll probably cost less than JaCoby Jones, and achieve twice the production
So you know..there’s that
Nice! Just when being a Sox fan couldn’t get any worse… here’s a lousy declining player who will surely be overpaid!
I like pickle juice.
I don’t hear my fellow Jays fans whining about the Pillar trade any more. De Paula may be only a lottery ticket but Pillar has continued to fall off, as expected.
The Jays could use Pillar. Oh wait, they got rid of him for basically nothing because they had so many centerfielders ready.
Then they traded for a centerfielder, as atkins says, would fill the need: Derek Fisher. How’d that work out? A 4A player.
So that leaves Alford, Grichuk, Davis, or Hernandez. Yeeesh. Pillar should be on the Jays list and cut Fisher.
Didn’t Derek Fisher coach the Knicks? He shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar lol.
The pirates probably offered pillar a minor league contract. I don’t blame him for going to Boston. At least Boston will invest into their players and team. Also, I guarantee that bob offered him a contract as a political stunt.
I wouldn’t mind him on the Cardinals as a 4th outfielder.
I think the reason they kept JBJ is to allow him to help Verdugo to become an outfielder whom the Sox can depend on professionally. He already has the bat and hands it seems. Allowing Jackie to help him grow is worth the 11 Mil for one year, who knows maybe Bradley puts it together and hits 250 with 25 this year.
Great move and this is Jackies final chance to prove he’s worth a long term contract. I hope they don’t flip him as he is definately needed to perform now more than ever as a veteran to help the others grow up. Everyone thinks we don’t have a shot, I think that makes it more exciting as ever. Believe in your Sox! Remember just 16 years ago or so we had not won in ages.
I love your take dude. It’s crazy how many a Sox fan crap on them. I’m a Mets fan, you know what I’d give for that run you’ve been on?
It’s a done deal. He’s going to the Red Sox. Can’t blame him one bit.