Unique journey for Pillar
Sox newest outfielder looks forward to playing at Fenway
FORT MYERS — Kevin Pillar suddenly had his life uprooted, traded four days into last season from the only baseball home he’d ever known — one where he thought he would play his entire career — and forced to move himself and his family, including a 1-year-old baby, across a continent.
It was jarring, and in his own words, “extremely unsettling.”
Yet, the veteran outfielder, playing last season with the Giants after six with the Blue Jays, felt he performed well given his unique circumstances. His defense took a dip, but he posted career highs in homers (21), RBI (88) and OPS (.719), even earning a 10th place vote for National League MVP.
But as he’s learned, goodwill with an organization only guarantees you so much. After looking forward to joining the Giants for a full camp and second season, he was non-tendered in early December.
“It came as a little bit of a shock, but as I’ve done this a little bit longer, nothing seems to surprise me in this game anymore,” Pillar said. “The longer you do this, the more you understand that we’re essentially just assets, and that we can be moved at any time.”
Pillar’s strange journey has now taken him to Fort Myers. With Mookie Betts gone and newcomer Alex Verdugo’s health in question, the Red Sox need some help in the outfield. They think they’ve found some in Pillar, who signed a one-year deal Friday and is hoping he can put it all together in whatever role he’s needed.
“I think it’s an amazing opportunity for me,” Pillar said. “I think any time you get to put a Boston Red Sox uniform on is something to not take lightly. It’s a historic organization, an organization that is always trying to win. I feel like I’m best suited for a team that is trying to win.”
After averaging 152 games played over his last five seasons, and even with Verdugo likely to miss the start of the season, it’s fair to say Pillar won’t be expected to be an everyday player in Boston. But when he gets his playing time, he’ll need to improve his defense to help the team win.
That may seem crazy to say, given Pillar was once considered one of the game’s best defensive center fielders, but the 31-year-old took a step back in 2019. He ranked 12th out of 14 center fielders in the NL in the SABR Defensive Index and cost the Giants three runs a game defensively, per FanGraphs.
But Pillar tried to explain why that was the case. Since he was traded to the Giants at the start of the season, he didn’t have the benefit of a full spring camp to get comfortable and process the information behind the organization’s defensive philosophies and approach.
“Some will say that I’ve taken a step back defensively,” Pillar said. “I don’t believe that’s the case. I think it’s a matter of making some minor adjustments, whether it’s positioning, getting a little bit more information, which is something I’m excited about joining this organization. …
“I’m excited to be here on time with an organization that’s going to give me that information and I feel like I can make those small adjustments and continue to be an elite defender, whether it’s in center field, left field or right field.”
For the majority of Pillar’s career, he has played in center. In 836 defensive appearances, he’s played 732 games in center, 77 in left and 38 in right. The latter is where he projects to play at with the Red Sox, with Jackie Bradley Jr. continuing to man center and Andrew Benintendi in left, but Pillar is up to the challenge.
Last season, Pillar was thrown into right with the Giants without much time to prepare. But with Bradley in center, he knows to expect to play in right, which is uniquely large at Fenway Park.
“I’ll definitely be better prepared this time around to handle all three outfield positions and getting a full spring training to practice all three positions,” Pillar said.
“I’m not just saying this because I’m sitting here now, but it was always my favorite place to go play when I was a member of the Blue Jays. Rain or shine, warm or cold, fans are out there, winning record, losing record, fans are extremely loyal. I also understand they have expectations for their teams. They have expectations for their players. But, yeah, it’s a oneof-a-kind atmosphere and I’m excited to call that my home.”