The Braves and outfielder Kevin Pillar are in agreement on a minor league deal, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams. Pillar will make a $3MM salary if he cracks the club’s roster. He’s a client of All Bases Covered Sports Management.
Pillar, 34, was selected by the Blue Jays in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft. He worked his way up to the majors by 2013 and took over an everyday job in 2015, which he held with the Jays through 2018. Over those four seasons, Pillar got into 601 games and hit .263/.301/.401. That production was 12% below league average by measure of wRC+, but Pillar was able to provide value with his speed and defense. He stole 68 bases in that period while producing 57 Defensive Runs Saved and got a 29.4 grade from Ultimate Zone Rating.
The Jays went into a rebuild in the latter parts of that timeframe and they flipped Pillar to the Giants in April of 2019. That began the journeyman phase of Pillar’s career, as he’s suited up for the Giants, Red Sox, Rockies, Mets and Dodgers over the past few campaigns. He’s continued to hit at a similar rate but his work in the field has naturally slipped as he’s gotten deeper into his 30s.
The most significant variant for Pillar this year will likely be his health. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last year and posted a huge .315/.412/.622 batting line in 36 Triple-A games. That production led to a 150 wRC+, indicating he was 50% above league average. He got selected to the big league team in May but was placed on the injured list after appearing in just four games due to a left shoulder fracture. That injury required surgery which was initially reported as “season-ending,” though Pillar did attempt a late-season comeback by starting a rehab assignment in September. There wasn’t quite enough runway for Pillar to return, however, and his season was limited to just those four contests.
For the Braves, two of their outfield jobs are spoken for by Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II. The left field position is less settled, with various in-house options. Eddie Rosario. Marcell Ozuna, Sam Hilliard, Eli White and Jordan Luplow will likely be battling each other for either full- or part-time work with the big league club. If Pillar is healthy and looks good in spring or as the season gets going, he could work his way into the mix if an opportunity presents itself.
Pillar’s $3MM salary is larger than most players on minor league deals normally secure, which is somewhat noteworthy for a club that’s slated to go into luxury tax territory for the first time. Roster Resource currently pegs their competitive balance tax figure at $241MM, beyond the $233MM base threshold. Assuming they don’t find a way to shed some salary and dip back beneath the line, they’re lined up to pay a 20% tax on all spending that goes over the boundary, which would include Pillar’s salary if he makes the team.
Anyone think he wouldn’t have signed for the major league minimum? Why put a 3 million carrot on a stick? Why pay Pham $6 million? Does anyone really think desperation would have him sign for a third of that? Too much dumb money in baseball.
If he plays well enough to make the ML roster, 3m isn’t an insane amount. He was relatively good in 2021, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Why be so cheap?
Maybe he had several offers, and this was the one that got him to sign?
Pillar & Braves BB have met before. Jacob Webb plunked Pillar in the puss, one of the worst live shots ever seen on BB video.
However, I’m happy to see this courageous dude back, especially if he’s in a Braves uniform. Class & courage in the same sentence.
I remember that, It was BRUTAL!! This guy is tough.
Jacob Webb never recovered from that psychologically he got the yips and basically went from a potential 7th or 8th inning setup pitcher to being a walk machine and being DFA by multiple teams.
This obviously affected Jacob Webb in the worst way. Perhaps this is ATL getting these two warriors back together to work out their demons. I felt so bad for Webb after this mistake. Everyone should have a second chance…
Webb doesnt play for the Braves anymore.
Angel’s.
No apostrophe needed.
lol
Class? You don’t recall him yelling a homophobic slur after being quick pitched by Jason Motte
Such a Canadian comment
Because MLB owners have the money. Let them spend it.
So the Braves Got Heem!!?
ATL probably attracts at least one veteran willing to serve as minor-league depth each year as a result of having their AAA team in the Atlanta suburbs.
Seattle, Minnesota, and maybe Boston have a similar AAA-MLB home stadium commute… any others?
True, and good AAA numbers at OK City (LAD) with only 4 ML games for the big boys. .314/.398/1.002 in 176 PA in 2022 could be great depth at 33 y/o and better defense than Pham while being a clubhouse favorite & guy that will take a hit to the face.
Baltimore has Norfolk
Cleveland has Columbus
Cincinnati has Louisville
Philly has lehigh valley
NYY and TOR are still under 2 hrs as well. Then there’s a few more in the 2-1/2 hour range.
How’s about the longest commute from ML to AAA? LAD to OK City? 1,328 miles. (I guess it used to be LV to NYC for Mets AAA @ 2,524 miles until they relocated to Syracuse)
Good list, GASoxFan. Looks like your home-to-MLB commute as a Sox fan in Georgia is much further than any of those!!
Absolutely. I adopted the braves as my local team back in ’09 (except during head to head with BOS) which was nice, having a nl club to watch before the universal dh.
Still, it’s a chance to watch good baseball and the team has become competitive as boston threw in the towel in late 2019 on a young core most gms would only dream of having.
On what planet is Norfolk 2 hours from Baltimore?
Lots of regional flights every day.
Fly, drive, or train, I consider dependable connections under 2 hrs away count.
The point with the Braves is that Gwinnett is a 45 minute drive. Meaning a player can even live in Buckhead and still go play in Gwinnett.
I used to live in East Cobb for years. Before that in Atlanta proper, Decatur, etc.
Not many rush hours where you can drive from Buckhead out to where the gwinnett team plays in 45 minutes to start your day, at least not in my 15 years around the area.
They are creating competition. All I care about is that he is productive period! WBC is 49 days away folks, I’m soooooo jonesing for Baseball!
Do veterans with his level of MLB time still get an automatic opt out of minor league deals or did something change in the CBA?
Yes this contract will come with opt out dates. Players with 6 years of mlb service and who finished on a big league roster or DL at the end of last season are guaranteed opt outs via the cba.
Thanks. That’s what I thought.
So this spring is really an audition for all 30 clubs for Pillar.
Correct, it’s an audition. Though, I assume his minor league pay portion of the contract is also not what we’d call standard. The minor league “split” salary – or pro-rated pay – for a 40 man player on optional assignment this year is $117,400. I would bet Pillar’s minor league salary is quite a bit more, if he were not to make the opening day roster. Plus, he gets a retention bonus if he’s not released or purchased.
Well this is certainly a nice little no risk pickup
low risk no upside
Good low risk “gamble” for the Braves.
Alex always liked him
Guy is a homophobic piece of garbage. As a Braves fan this bums me out.
That is a ridiculous assumption. He used a vulgar word directed at a straight male.
It was insensitive for sure but to say he is a homophonic piece of garbage because of that and this bums you out is, making a mountain of it if a mole hill.
Is it an assumption to call someone who uses the n word a racist
Yes, it’s an assumption. It’s all about context. If a white person is singing a song that has the N word in it and says it while singing, there’s no harmful intent behind it. If a friend tells his buddy to stop being gay when he’s being stupid, it’s not homophobic because there’s no harmful intent towards gay people. People need to stop being so dang sensitive about everything and use a little common sense.
Speaking as if “gay” can be a synonym for “stupid” is incredibly homophobic.
Pillar was using the word in a negative context, that isn’t like singing along to a song
Must be cool to be so perfect in life. Haven’t met someone who’s never said something derogatory out of anger before, didn’t expect to run in to my first perfect person in the MLBTR boards.
DTD
I could not disagree more, singing the N word does make you a bigot and calling a friend gay as an insult does make you a bigot. I agree that the bigotry may flow from ignorance rather than hatred, but it still meets the definition of bigotry in my book. I sure feel bad for anyone who takes a pitch to the face, but I gotta call the balls and strikes as I see ‘em.
Fortunately for me and many others, your weakness and sensitivity and incorrect usage of words is meaningless.
BravesCanada, your understanding of what homophobia means is very common in today’s weak, victimhood, everything is hate speech world.
Yah the overuse of these terms is a big problem, they are completely watered down now and have become almost meaningless.
Holy crap I didn’t think you’d actually say yes
DTD
Tell us that you are a proud ally and advocate for the LGBTQ community and prove us mistaken.
I have said tons of stupid things, but I have never used something homophobic to insult someone or as a joke. I am lucky to have parents and friends who didn’t do that. Pillar is not necessarily a piece of garbage, we say things we have heard others say. That’s why we have to call out bigotry and explain that it’s not funny, to stop the cycle. That way everyone learns and grows.
The woke media up here want to hang a hockey player coz he doesn’t agree with homosexuality. Free speech on the left is an oxymoron.
I’m not an ally to any group. I don’t care how people want to describe themselves or live their life as long as it doesn’t become a political agenda. I don’t advocate for that lifestyle but I don’t hate them because of it. Contrary to your belief, disagreeing isn’t hate. Every single person in this country has the same opportunity as the next so I really don’t see what’s to advocate for. There will always be people who hate though because people suck in general. Straight, gay, male, female, skinny, fat, every race and religion…all get hate at some point.
Not sure why you’d want or expect any other answer to be honest? Everything is relative. Not every scenario is black or white. There’s always a gray area when it comes to feelings and words and how people interpret them.
Lol good one
This guy loves pillar lol one of those Jay’s fans
Off subject completely.
people don’t have to “agree” to meet the bare minimum of not shouting hateful obscenities. but thanks for the false equivelancy.
FH, you ever got mad at someone and used an obscenity towards them? I bet you didn’t say it out of love either. Get off your high horse white knight.
No, I have literally never yelled either that word or the n word at anyone. You really think that’s posturing? Good lord
I think he will prove himself to be a Pillar of the community!!
Dusty
Kevin is also the guy who didn’t support the wildcat strike after the Jacob Blake shooting. So while Pillar does not do the full Schilling, the pro-diversity thing doesn’t seem to come naturally for him.
I just googled that incident because I wasn’t familiar with it and you’re first statement isn’t true, he supported JBJ but then made an all lives matter comment
Dusty
I googled a second article on the Blake incident and it described it similar to you.
I still the cisgenders saying no big deal should step aside and ask their LGBQT friends what they think.
Meant to say straight not cisgender
I didn’t say it was no big deal, he apologized, he donated 2 days worth of his pay to an LGB organization and has refrained from doing it since ( at least publicly)
And no, I will not step aside from my opinions the same way you had no issue voicing yours 10 minutes ago
Even you are confused by the silly vernacular.
You have to remember that well into the 2000s it was *extremely* common to use that word as an insult in middle or high school. Was it right? Of course not, but Pillar is the right age to have grown up around it.
There is more nuance to life than simply a litmus test for “good or bad” person.
Lots of us grew up around it. But if it comes out of your mouth that fast as a grown man, it’s in your heart and has been since “well into the 2000s”…he never put it down. If you don’t find that telling, I don’t think we’ll find a way to agree on this.
Perhaps we can at least agree that Pillar replacing Ozuna in the Braves depth chart would be a net benefit in character?
I know, they are collecting dirtbags and it sucks
He and hilliard both had monster half season minor league stats last year.
The other 2, white and Luplow, gross.
I like this move. He’s hit lefties well throughout his career and even with his defense slipping, he’s still much better than Rosario on defense. As long as he’s healthy, I have little doubt that he breaks camp as a bench or platoon option and doesn’t spend any time in AAA.
Agree Pillar could pass Ozuna and Rosario on depth chart if healthy.
If the Twins want a Michael Taylor type player they should have nagged him.
Loved him as a Jay. Used to say the world was 2/3 covered in water and Pillar covered the rest
Nice move by AA. Dumb trade by Atkins to move him to the Giants in 2019 for Alen Hanson and right-handed pitchers Juan De Paula and Derek Law. Good trade. Sarcasm heavy.The Jays have been searching for a healthy center fielder since then. Duh.