Giants roundtable: Should Kevin Pillar be re-signed or non-tendered?

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 31: Kevin Pillar #1 of the San Francisco Giants hits a two run home run in the top of the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Giants defeated the Phillies 5-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Written by: Dzintars Grinfelds

I’ve already mentioned in my “free-agent outfielders to avoid” article that the San Francisco Giants should be looking for dynamic bats in free agency.

It should go without saying then that it also makes sense to hold onto the dynamic options they currently have, and Pillar is definitely in that realm.

He slashed .259/.287/.432 last season, and while those stats do not jump off the page, they are reliable.

With a .261/.290/.439 line over 334 plate appearances at AT&T/Oracle Park, he has also shown the ability to hit in San Francisco, which is not something everyone can do.

Pillar was also a pillar in the lineup.

He played 152 games in the outfield, beating Brandon Belt for most innings played defensively, and led the team with 628 plate appearances. Along the way, he tied Mike Yastrzemski for the club-high in home runs (21) while leading the team in RBI (87).

Of all qualified Giants hitters, Pillar also had the second-highest batting average and slugging percentage.

If Pillar was the most consistent and best hitter on the team, not to mention the least injury-prone, how could the Giants not tender him a contract?