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

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TORONTO, ON – APRIL 23: Kevin Pillar #1 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates their victory during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays Rogers Centre on April 23, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Written by: Nick San Miguel

Kevin Pillar definitely should definitely be tendered a contract by the Giants.

While he is projected to earn $9.7 million next year if they do bring him back, there are just too many reasons to keep him around.

He led the team in hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. When he was hot, the offense was usually humming.

Not to mention the fact that he won the Willie Mac Award. What kind of message would that send to the clubhouse if they chose to cut ties with a guy who, according to their votes and the votes of past players and coaches, exemplified what it means to be a Giant on and off the field?

I think the hit to morale would be too much for the team to stomach, and may make players uneasy with the front office.

Pillar was an iron man, playing nearly every single day and providing a sense of stability to a lineup that had a lot of turnover over the course of the year.

There is also no clear replacement for Pillar. Steven Duggar doesn’t look like he has the bat to be a productive everyday center fielder, and Heliot Ramos is still a few years away from making an impact at the MLB level.

There are just too many reasons to bring him back. Even though the team is still trying to rebuild, the fans at least deserve to see a team that has a chance to win, and Pillar is a player that makes the Giants better in 2020.