Former Blue Jays fan favourite designated for assignment by White Sox

A former Toronto Blue Jays fan favourite has been designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox.

Kevin Pillar, who was a part of the Blue Jays from 2013-2019, was DFA’d by the White Sox this morning to make room for Tommy Pham, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Charlotte.

Pillar spent the 2023 season with the Atlanta Braves, hitting .228 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs in 81 games. He wound up agreeing to a minor league deal with the White Sox in in February, and was signed to a major league contract in early March.

As evidenced by their MLB worst 3-22 record, the entire White Sox roster has struggled this season, and Pillar has been no exception. The 35-year-old was hitting .160 and managed just a single RBI through 17 games prior to today’s news.

“I’m fine, man. Look, I’m sitting in a dark closet,” Pillar joked in an interview shortly after the news with Foul Territory. “I’m actually in my car with some stuff I gotta bring to the field to get shipped home. I found out this morning, I felt like the writing was on the wall for a little bit. You hate that your mind goes there, but you play GM a little bit. I knew that Tommy and me, as much as we could co-exist, we offer the same sort of thing.”

"When you get a phone call from your GM in the morning, it's not for him to see how you're doing"

Kevin Pillar discusses being DFA'd by the @whitesox this morning.

▶️ https://t.co/8OBDEaTGwx pic.twitter.com/Bp5EnjM1y4

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 26, 2024

If he doesn’t get scooped up, Pillar could elect to re-enter free agency, though this move from the White Sox could spell the end of his career. Never a great hitter, his offensive numbers have really been lacking the past few seasons, which has resulted in him bouncing around a ton. Since 2020, he has suited up for the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, LA Dodgers, Braves, and White Sox.

Pillar’s best years came with the Blue Jays, where he was considered one of the best outfielders in baseball despite never winning a Gold Glove. He made plenty of ridiculous highlight-reel catches in centre field for the Jays, earning him the nickname “Superman.”

Though this is certainly tough news, it’s great to see Pillar remains in good spirits.

You might also like:
• Blue Jays manager John Schneider hopes fans give Ohtani rude welcoming