Veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar is headed back to the open market after both he and the Mets declined the dual options on his contract, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).
Pillar held a $2.9MM player option for the 2022 season, which did not carry a buyout, while the Mets held a $6.4MM club option with a $1.4MM buyout. Pillar’s decision was due first, and he opted to decline his end knowing that he had least the $1.4MM buyout of the Mets’ club option waiting for him. It’s a bit of a bet on himself, but so long as he tops $1.5MM in 2022 earnings, he’ll come out ahead in the gambit.
It was a rather unconventional contract that essentially boiled down to one of three outcomes: two years and $6.5MM (if Pillar exercised his end); two years and $10MM (if the Mets exercised their end); or one year and $5MM (both parties declining).
It was a convoluted way to get there, but the Mets effectively were able to sign Pillar for a year and $5MM while utilizing a player option (which counts as “guaranteed” money for luxury-tax purposes) to reduce the luxury hit to $3.25MM. The Mets wound up a good bit shy of the luxury threshold anyhow, but Pillar’s unique contract structure would’ve provided some additional in-season flexibility had they sought to add some payroll at the deadline.
Pillar’s 2021 season was disrupted by a grisly injury that saw him sustain multiple nasal fractures when an errant Jacob Webb fastball hit him in the face. Down on the field for several minutes following that frightening hit-by-pitch, Pillar was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power. Remarkably, Pillar missed only two weeks of action — a welcome outcome after what carried the potential for a far more severe injury.
With the Mets, Pillar tallied 327 plate appearances and turned in a .231/.277/.415 batting line with 15 home runs, 11 doubles, a pair of triples and four stolen bases. His 3.2% walk rate was the lowest in baseball for any player with at least 300 trips to the plate — an ongoing theme throughout Pillar’s career that has continually curbed his on-base percentage. Defensively, Pillar clocked in below average by most measures. Although he was once an otherworldly defender in center, he hasn’t turned in a positive mark in Defensive Runs Saved since 2017.
It’s a thin market for free-agent center fielders, though, and Pillar’s extensive experience there (and ability to play both corners) ought to generate some interest. He’s also a career .280/.312/.459 hitter against left-handed pitching (104 wRC+), so he could land a spot as a part-time outfielder on a contender’s bench next year or perhaps a larger role on a rebuilding team in search of an affordable veteran option.
Smart move by Pillar. He will top $1.5M this Winter. The Mets seem to think he’s not even a $5 million player though. That’s the bad news for him.
Maybe but it could also be that they want to give Lee a shot next year (bench role)
Lmao man you are a pathetic turd in a sea of trolls
How was that a troll?
I didn’t see that as trolling. Just a reply to a comment.
I didn’t see that as a trolling comment. I thought he was being honest and he could be right. I gave him a thumbs up.
Thank goodness rancid hitter and declining defender
No, he needs to make more than $1.5m in 2022 to come out ahead. Had he accepted his end and the Mets declined, he would have had $1.4m PLUS another deal with another club. He will likely lose money in 2022 on this decision, but he may be hoping/expecting a multi-year offer from somewhere.
I’m not sure what you’re suggesting. Had Pillar accepted his end, he’d have been signed at $2.9MM. The Mets’ club option would then be rendered moot. It’s not a mutual option where both parties need to agree — it’s two separate options. The only real way Pillar was going to accept was probably if he had a major injury that was going to linger into the offseason or into 2022.
He still gets the $1.4MM buyout from the Mets, and now he can go into free agency in search of a new contract. Pillar accepting was him locking himself in at $2.9MM next year. This is him taking a $1.4MM buyout and hoping to beat $1.5MM in free agency.
Agreed Steve. My question is whether the Mets have dead money on the books for 22. Otherwise more teams might try this approach.
There’s no dead money on the books for them. They just owe him the $1.4MM buyout, which doesn’t count against next year’s luxury tax or anything.
A lot of teams structured similar (albeit not quite the same) deals last year to dip under the luxury barrier. The Astros (Odorizzi), Yankees (O’Day, Wilson, Gardner) and Red Sox (Sawamura) all used creatively designed player options that were immensely unlikely to be exercised as a means of gaming the luxury tax.
@ Steve – How does this work then? Pillar was paid $3.6M for 2021, but due to the $2.9M player option, those two numbers were added together and divided in half for a 2021 CBT hit of $3.25M.
Now the Mets need to pay him $1.4M on the team option, so Pillar will be paid a total of $5M, but for CBT purposes, the Mets are only charged with $3.25M in 2021? That doesn’t make sense to me. I would think the Mets would be assessed $1.75M against the CBT cap in 2022 to account for the full payout to Pillar. I didn’t think the CBT allowed for any loopholes. Please explain.
That’s basically what I thought. See his answer above.
Thanks. Seems like a loophole that should be addressed in the new CBA. I can see smaller market teams complaining as this becomes more prevalent.
Wait, the Mets, the Zack Scott, Sandy Alderson, Steve Cohen Mets did something that the Astros Jim Click (Tampa Alum, well respected), Red Sox Chaim Bloom (Tampa Alum, well respected) and the Yankees did! Can’t be, Cohen is too meddlesome, Alderson is too lost, Scott was just another mistake, no way those guys did something right. Must have been a fluke.
Those types of option years seem to mostly occur with relief pitchers (though Gardy & Pillar are obviously not). Giants did a similar thing when they signed Watson. That’s the first time I recall seeing it. It’s an accounting “trick” or whatever, to increase the overall contract value while lessening the AAV hit. Cashman has jumped on board with them.
I’m interested to see what O’day does.
His is 700K or 1.4 mil. Seemed unthinkable he might be tempted by that when he originally signed. But with his recent injury history, he may exercise his option. I hope he does as that would pretty much wrap up anything the Yanks need to do in their pen.
He’s getting paid to leave the Mets, so he’s already coming out ahead no matter what else happens.
Lol
Well, he played better than Albert Almora
#Mets2021Season
Way way better. Albert Almora is looking for a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. at best. My Cub buddies warned everyone…. Only the Mets didn’t listen.
Okay, I know it’s crazy but jays need a every other day CF cause well springer gonna springer. So how about they bring him back on a cheaper deal and trade out Grich for an over paid back end starter
Pillar is a fifth OFer at this stage
Not much chance of a Toronto reunion for Pillar. The Jays are searching for left hand hitting outfielders (or third basemen or second baseman, or DH) I think Kansas City or Arizona is a much more likely landing spot for Pillar.
No one is more desperate for an everyday CFr than the Mets. Pillar was let go cuz he is NOT good enough to be that.
@Cosmo don’t be so sure. Phillies are definitely more desperate as they don’t have a Nimmo. But I take your point.
Yea there’s a bit of “give or take” missing in my comment.
Nimmo is easily a top 5 CF by any metric you wanna use.
He’s not a good fit there fielding wise and he’s too injury prone. He’s a great player though, just better suited for a corner spot.
So long as the metric doesnt include, games played, RF/G, assists, steals, hits, runs, runs scored
If you’re looking for someone to put up a good OBP in 90 games and play against the warning track all year. Nimmo is your man
I dont think that was a good move by KP
Why not? You don’t think he can get a one year deal for more than $1.5M? I could easily see him sign for $2.5M or perhaps even $3M.
Spot on. Look at how many right hand hitting outfielders declined options and declared Free agency today alone. Pillar may not win this game of musical chairs. Minor league contract plus an invite might be a best case scenario. His agent deserves a swift kick in the ass.
If he signs a minor league deal with a $2MM base and makes that team out of Spring Training, he still tops the deal. Most minor league contract for veterans at this point have base salaries of more than $1MM.
He may also just have wanted to go somewhere else where he has a better opportunity for playing time. If that means taking $500K less in 2022 in order to better position himself for next offseason’s market, that’s not a huge loss — especially for a guy who’s already topped $20MM in career earnings.
Ah 2022 mariners cf right here. This makes sense
Pillar seems like a bright guy.
If he’s willing to take a pay cut, he can sorta run the Mets front office.
He could. But thats why he declined…
Wait, are you saying he’s the new POBO?!
He got paid to leave a sinking and cancer filled clubhouse. Mets are at the Jets level both bottom feeders of the New York sports teams
LOL
The Mets and Jets may be at the bottom level of NYC sports teams – but the other teams aren’t exactly championship bound.
Isn’t it terrible that all the professional sports leagues slowly changed the bylaws to make a more level field for the franchises to run their teams? Now NYC can’t bully their way around by overpaying players. The FO’s, scouting, coaching, and player acquisition areas have to compete semi-equally with other FO’s in their leagues. HOW UNFAIR!
NYC sports fans on all the national chatroom sites I read are the worst in understanding and discussing how the sports are played on the field, court, or ice. They’re like the NE sports media – everything is about image and celebrity and how much money the individual players make and who’s dating who and who said what about who and who’s unhappy with their manager, coach, agent, teammates, opposition players, contract, etc. Everyone quotes silly statistics to make their point, and no one seems to understand how to play these sports.
It doesn’t matter, the Mets do everything wrong anyways! Sign Len Dykstra ?
The Mets will get it right one day, till then they’ll be sitting home along with the other 28 teams that didn’t win the WS.
He would be a better 4th outfielder for the Yanks than Brett Gardner. If they don’t want to spend big money to get Starling Marte, they could platoon Pillar and Florial and have plenty of money to address their other needs. They have needs at catcher, SS, and first base for sure. And of course you can always use another pitcher or two. The potential platoon could limit their offense, however. Not sure I would want the CF platoon and a poor offensive catcher.
The Yankees need to consider their options judiciously this off season. Having one position in the batting order with an offensively challenged player is acceptable but if you have two, you better be awesome 1 through 7. Probably have to spend big on a SS, if you were to pursue a Pillar/Florial platoon. Really need for Cashman to have his best off season ever!
No doubt his career is waning, but he still managed to put up 0.5WAR in 2021..
Here is a guy that had nearly 1000 people drafted ahead of him, and managed to put up 16.5 WAR, earn $18.5 million, and make more highlight reels than most.
I think Pillar will get to $1.5MM (at least as a veteran with a good defensive reputation) but his roadblock is that there’s not a role he fits especially well. He’s not a starter at this point (it took a lot going wrong for him to get to 82 starts this season), and even at the corners he’s an imperfect fit as a defensive specialist off the bench.
They will get it right??? Where’s the parting of the Red Sea
That was deep.
I liked Pillar. He started out the season slow but got hot for a month till he was hit in the face. Got a couple clutch homeruns but he really wasnt the same since the injury. Nice 4th outfielder for any team in the league
I hate to see him go, he like Nimmo always gives 120%, even though a back-up for depth. Great for the clubhouse when things were tough, hard to put a price on that; May be he didn’t like the culture and wants to go elsewhere.
Yea, while I’m not shedding any tears over losing him, I wonder if a bad culture in the clubhouse had anything to do with his decision. That could be worrisome.
I’m intrigued to see how they got over a million to not count against the luxury tax even though it was 5 million guaranteed. Why arnt more teams doing this?
I wouldn’t return to that franchise either. They are cursed. The Tigers and Orioles will win titles first…and the Pirates aren’t out of the question either.
Buster Posey will be interviewed for the Mgrs job and turn it down.