Kevin Pillar, Rangers Agree to Terms on Minors Deal

By Nate Miller

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

February 23, 2025

The Texas Rangers added to their spring training outfield mix on Sunday afternoon by signing veteran Kevin Pillar. It is a minor-league contract with an invitation to big league camp. Pillar originally said at the end of the 2024 season that he was 98% sure he was going to retire. His kids — a 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son — enjoyed having their dad home full-time for a bit. After some time off, reflection, and an offseason thumb surgery, Pillar came to the conclusion that he wasn’t finished yet.

Bakers Dozen

Kevin Pillar is a veteran of 12 major league seasons. A 32nd-round pick with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011, he made his major league debut in 2013 and has fashioned a nice career for himself as a glove-first outfielder who can provide some offense against left-handers. His peak seasons as the Blue Jays’ everyday center fielder are behind him. Pillar posted 8.2 fWAR and 14.0 bWAR from 2015 to 2018. In more recent years he has become a very reliable fourth or fifth outfielder for a variety of major league clubs.

2024 Struggles

In 2024, Pillar started the season with the Chicago White Sox but struggled badly through 17 games. He was released by the White Sox but managed to find a job with the Los Angeles Angels after Mike Trout was shut down for the year due to a meniscus issue. Pillar joined the club’s outfield mix and did fairly well for himself.

He appeared in 83 games for the club while spending most of his time in center field. In 282 trips to the plate for the Halos, Pillar slashed .236/.291/.378. Kevin Pillar had a decent 88 wRC+ that suggested he was a touch below league average as a hitter. That’s perfectly serviceable for a depth piece, but Pillar notably crushed left-handers with a .310/.352/.500 slash line against them last year. That seems to suggests he could be more of a fit on a team with a deeper outfield mix who can offer him more platoon protection against right-handed hitters.

Finding a Spot

There’s no doubt that Pillar will be aiming for a spot on the Rangers’ roster, but he will have his work cut out for him. As it stands, Wyatt Langford and Adolis Garcia are expected to be the club’s regular outfielders in the corners. Evan Carter is also getting regular reps in center field with Leody Taveras serving as the club’s fourth outfielder.