Giants: Potential landing spots for free agent Kevin Pillar

Last week, the San Francisco Giants decided not to tender a contract to outfielder Kevin Pillar for the 2020 season.

Instead of paying Kevin Pillar a projected $9.7 million in his final year of arbitration, the San Francisco Giants decided to part ways with the outfielder, thereby making him a free agent.

The decision came as something of a surprise after he put together a productive 2019 season, and with no clear replacement on the roster, but he’s now free to sign with any team.

It would appear there is no shortage of interest in the veteran center fielder’s services:

On the surface, this was a difficult decision to understand. The right-handed hitter eclipsed the 20-homer plateau, which was the first time a Giants hitter had achieved this mark since Brandon Crawford did it way back in 2015.

Of course, Evan Longoria and Mike Yastrzemski later joined Pillar in the 20-home run club among Giants hitters in 2019.

In addition to the home run total, the long-time Blue Jay recorded a .719 OPS, 88 RBI, and 83 runs scored in 645 plate appearances. On the surface, he was productive in a number of offensive categories.

However, a dig beneath the surface revealed some troubling trends. He posted a middling .287 on-base percentage, which was 15 basis points below the .302 mark set by the team in 2019. That team mark was the second worst figure in the National League behind only the Miami Marlins (.298 OBP).

Similarly, Pillar generated a 85 wRC+, which was the 12th worst figure among qualified hitters last season. This number indicates that his offensive output was 15 percent below league average.

With the glove, Pillar passed the eye test as he made plenty of fantastic plays like this one:

However, the defensive metrics were not as encouraged by his work. In 2019, he recorded -3 DRS and a -0.3 UZR, so he was a tad below average according to the metrics.

Lastly, Pillar was worth 1.0 WAR as he split time with the Giants and Blue Jays. That, along with the other trends, influenced the Giants decision to part ways.

This may prove to be an advantageous chain of events for Pillar. The free-agent market is extremely thin on quality center fielders, and Pillar is already arguably the best option available.

There are plenty of interested suitors, and it makes sense. If a team wants to improve its center field production, and does not have the prospect capital to swing a trade, then targeting a player like Pillar would be prudent.

On paper, the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Colorado Rockies look like potential fits for Pillar’s services among the interested teams. Let’s take a closer look at each situation.

The Philadelphia Phillies are facing a very uncertain situation in center field with the suspension of outfielder Odubel Herrera for his role in a domestic violence dispute.

Herrera received an 85-game suspension, but he has been on a downward trend over the past couple of seasons. Since the start of 2018, the outfielder has posted an 88 OPS+ across 736 plate appearances to go along with -14 DRS as an outfielder.

The 27-year-old is signed to a contract that runs through 2021 with team options in 2022 and 2023. But given his declining production and off-the-field baggage, the Phillies may decide it is best to move on from the former All-Star.

Currently, the Phillies have Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen penciled in as their corner outfielders. Harper has never been known for having a good glove, despite posting 9 DRS as a right fielder in 2019. Similarly, McCutchen’s days as a Gold Glove outfielder are far behind him.

Scott Kingery spent plenty of time in the outfield last season, but he has more professional experience in the infield. He will likely see more of the infield dirt after the Phillies decided to non-tender long-time second baseman Cesar Hernandez.

Jay Bruce remains on the Phillies roster, but he is looking more like a bench player at this point in his career. Plus, it would not be surprising if the Phillies decided to move the left-handed slugger.

The Phillies also have Adam Haseley, but they will want to pair him with a more experienced outfielder. That is where Pillar could come into play.

In Haseley’s brief career in the major leagues, he has struggled to the tune of a .531 OPS against southpaws. To better set him up for success, the Phillies could look at Pillar as a veteran leader and platoon complement.

Plus, after the Phillies signed Zack Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million contract, they are conveying to the rest of the league that they are serious about contending.

They will need depth in case Haseley struggles, and adding Pillar gives them that in the form of a decent all-around player. They are short on prospect capital, so a dive into free agency for center field help makes sense for the Phillies.

Despite playing half of their games at the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field every year, the Colorado Rockies struggled to get meaningful production out of their outfield contingent in 2019.

That group includes Charlie Blackmon, Ian Desmond, Raimel Tapia, and David Dahl.

Dahl and Blackmon were positive contributors on offense while generating a 109 OPS+ and 123 OPS+, respectively. However, injuries continue to plague Dahl as he appeared in only 100 games last season.

In addition to those two, Tapia and Desmond received significant playing time as well. Both Tapia and Desmond were far below league average hitters as evidenced by their 74 OPS+ and 88 OPS+, respectively. That said, both players seem to hit well against the San Francisco Giants, so perhaps they would produce more if Major League Baseball scheduled more inter-division games.

Regardless, there is room for improvement. Pillar posted a 89 OPS+ in 2019, which is not a major improvement over Desmond, but Tapia received 447 plate appearances in 2019 where he was 26 percent worse than the league average hitter. The Rockies could certainly find a way to get better production from that area in 2020.

On defense, the Rockies outfielders struggled mightily with the glove in 2019:

• Desmond: -19 DRS, -11.9 UZR
• Blackmon: -8 DRS, -10.7 UZR
• Tapia: -4 DRS, -6.3 UZR
• Dahl: -11 DRS, -4.1 UZR

According to the metrics, each of the outfielders listed above was below average defensively by a pretty wide margin

Pillar is no longer the defensive wizard he was in his days with the Blue Jays, but he would be a considerable upgrade with the glove compared to the outfielders the Rockies used in 2019.

With that being said, the Rockies may have a limited payroll space for 2020 as much of their financial wherewithal is tied up to the bullpen as well as with Desmond, Blackmon, and Nolan Arenado.

Regardless, they need to get better production from their outfielders in 2020. Adding Pillar would help in achieving that end without breaking the bank or handing out a long-term commitment.

As has been rumored, Pillar has plenty of interested suitors already. While a bidding war is unlikely, Pillar should be able to use this as leverage to land a modest deal for 2020.