Kevin Pillar signs minor league deal with Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed outfielder Kevin Pillar to a minor league contract, worth $2.5 million if he earns a spot on the Major League roster at any point this season.
Now 33, Pillar has spent nine years in the big leagues, six of which came during his time as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Widely regarded to be one of the best-fielding outfielders in the league at his prime, Pillar still stands to pack a punch at the plate while providing plus-defense at all three outfield positions.
In 2021, Pillar played 124 games for the New York Mets, where he hit .231/.277/.415 -- a considerable drop in production from previous seasons. Traditionally averaging a strikeout rate around 15%, Pillar's rate jumped to 23.8% in 2021, leading to a nearly 100-point on-base percentage drop in the same time span.
Despite his defensive prowess, Pillar has yet to win a Gold Glove Award or be named to an All-Star Game, a large part of which could like be credited to the fact that both Kevin Kiermaier and Jackie Bradley Jr. also patrolled centerfield in the same division as members of the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, respectively -- not to mention perennial MVP-favorite Mike Trout playing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Pillar's big benefit comes as a right-handed bat against left-handed pitchers,
Originally from West Hills, Pillar played high school baseball at Chaminade College Prep before joining Cal State Dominguez Hills for college ball.
Over the course of his MLB career, Pillar has hit .260 with 97 homers and 391 RBIs, adding 92 stolen bases and 50 outfield assists to his career totals. He features a career .991 fielding percentage.
