Pillar confident in Jays core players
Outfielder says talent is already in place
TORONTO • When it’s the dog days of summer and a major-league team is stagnating, as the Blue Jays appear to be, the atmosphere inside the clubhouse begins to feel like a swamp. Not with insects buzzing everywhere, but rumours and innuendoes.
There have been reports this week that manager John Gibbons is on his way out, perhaps even before the end of this current homestand, though GM Ross Atkins brushed aside that suggestion Tuesday. Typically, Gibbons just laughed it off.
There’s also a sense there is a leadership void in the clubhouse and some of the Jays — given the team’s spot in the standings and the fact the playoffs are not going to happen for the second year in a row — have given up playing hard and are just interested in their individual numbers. Centre-fielder Kevin Pillar can understand why fans (and media) may think that way, but he is adamant the Jays aren’t just going through the motions (though watching Yangervis Solarte run out ground balls isn’t exactly inspirational).
“The writing’s on the wall as far as our playoff chances, but we’re all professionals in here and I think we’re all still trying to go out there and do what’s best for ourselves and do what’s best for our team and still try to compete and try to win games,” Pillar said. “Baseball’s a unique sport. It’s a very individualized sport, but you’re also playing for the greater good of your team, your teammates, your organization, your city and, in our case, our country.”
Pillar is an American, but he has played in Toronto long enough that he almost feels Canadian. And he wants to stay in Toronto. He said there are veteran players on the Jays roster like himself who want to prove to the front office they are part of the solution going forward and management doesn’t have to completely blow up the roster in order to get back to being a competitive team.
“The front office is always looking for guys that they see as winning players and some of that winning stuff doesn’t appear on the stat sheet,” Pillar said.
Pillar, who was with the Jays through the 2015 and 2016 playoff runs, seems genuinely concerned the front office may blow up the team for a complete rebuild. Personally, he doesn’t feel that’s necessary.
“I think we have enough talent in here to have a pretty good foundation, a pretty good core to be successful in the major leagues,” he said. “Obviously going out and getting help in certain areas is always encouraged, but health is going to be a big thing moving forward.”
Pillar said the mood inside the Jays clubhouse obviously isn’t great, pointing out if it was, there would definitely be something wrong.
“The mood’s to be as expected,” said the West Hills, Calif., native. “Anytime you don’t reach your goals as a team, it’s not always going to be great.”