2019 SF Giants Willie Mac Award winner changes mind, hopes to play another year

It looks like former SF Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar may not be hanging up his cleats after all. He told the MLB Network’s Hot Stove show on Monday that he still wants to continue his playing career.

2019 SF Giants Willie Mac Award winner changes mind, hopes to play another year

Pillar is reversing course from the summer when he told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he intended to retire after the 2024 season. That is always a tough decision for a player to make because once they retire, that decision is usually final. Players rarely return after filing retirement paperwork.

The veteran outfielder spent the first part of the 2024 season with the Chicago White Sox. He was released near the end up April after recording four hits in 25 at-bats. That is a tough move to come back from given that the White Sox had one of the worst teams in baseball history.

However, Pillar caught on with the Los Angeles Angels and he posted a .959 OPS with six home runs and 25 RBI in 118 plate appearances after signing with his new club. However, those numbers began a downward turn as he hit to a .459 OPS in his final 164 plate appearances with the Angels. He did reveal that he had thumb surgery at the end of the season, so that could have affected his numbers.

Pillar is well known for his time with the Toronto Blue Jays. He patrolled center field for parts of seven seasons beginning in 2013. While he typically put up below-average numbers at the plate, he did quite often make highlight-reel plays in the outfield. There is a good chance that he would have at least one AL Gold Glove Award in his name if he did not play at the same time as four-time Gold Glove winner Kevin Kiermaier.

An early-season trade in 2019 brought Pillar to the Giants. Despite being a late entrant into the lineup, the right-handed bat led the Giants in many offensive categories. He slashed .264/.293/.442 (89 wRC+) with 21 home runs and 87 RBI in 628 plate appearances following the move. Pillar's all-out effort and quality play on the field led to him receiving the Willie Mac Award in 2019.

The veteran hitter was under team control for 2020 but the Giants decided to non-tender him in a relatively polarizing decision. Since then, Pillar has appeared with a number of clubs including the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, White Sox, and Angels. Pillar will now look to find a new home for 2025.