Report: Red Sox ‘close’ to signing outfielder Kevin Pillar
Sep 17, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Kevin Pillar (1) makes a catch during the 15th inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. (Paul Rutherford/USA TODAY Sports)
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Life without Mookie Betts has opened up some space in the Fenway Park outfield, and the Red Sox are ‘close’ to adding a replacement in veteran free Kevin Pillar, Kevin Pillar is close to a Red Sox deal. Boston needed righty hitting OF. Plus Pillar allows them to maintain excellent OF defense following loss of superstar Mookie.
Considered one of the better defensive outfielders, the 31-year-old appeared in 161 games between the Blue Jays and Giants last year, hitting .259 with a career-high 21 homers and 88 RBIs.
Pillar, who spent the six years and change of his career with Toronto, also established career-best marks in slugging percentage (.432) and OPS (.719), and is ‘close’ to coming to Boston with five straight seasons of at least 30 doubles to his name.
In addition to be right-handed bat to plug in an all-left hitting outfield between Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Alex Verdugo, Pillar has experience playing at Fenway Park thanks to that aforementioned run with the Jays.
Pillar is a career .307 hitter with 11 extra-base hits in 47 games at Fenway.
If signed, Pillar’s deal with the Red Sox will be a major-league deal, Source confirms: Free-agent outfielder Kevin Pillar close to deal with #RedSox. Will be major-league contract if completed. First reported: @JonHeyman.
