Last season, Kevin Pillar joined the Braves on a minor league deal and won a spot on the 26-man roster. This year, he'll look to do the same thing, but this time for the Chicago White Sox.
On Friday evening, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors reported that the veteran OF had signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox.
He'll join his former Braves teammates Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster, Nicky Lopez, and Braden Shewmake on what is quickly becoming the Chicago former Braves. Other former Braves include Brave-for-three-days Max Stassi, Rafael Ortega, and Touki Toussaint.
White Sox, Kevin Pillar Agree To Minor League Deal https://t.co/fRf5ujJlUw pic.twitter.com/wVRnwJr8HM
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) February 3, 2024
Adams reported Pillar will make $3 million if he makes the major league roster, which is the same deal he had with the Braves in 2023.
Pillar's departure is unsurprising to Braves fans, as the righty had a farewell message on social media days after the team was eliminated from the playoffs. However, some fans and players were still hoping for a reunion.
The 35-year-old's 2023 was a tale of two halves. He got off to a hot start, as he slashed .252/.284/.770 in the first half, but the second half of the season was forgettable, slashing .202/.206/.340.
On the whole, he had a 71 wRC+ with a .228/.248/.416 slashline. He played excellent defense throughout the season, however, which was just enough to push him to the positive side of FanGraphs' WAR.
Pillar will look to get more playing time with Chicago than he did with Atlanta this past season. While Luis Robert is an All-Star CF, the other three OFs on the 40-man roster, Andrew Benintendi, Gavin Sheets, and Oscar Colás, all struggled last year, and combined for -2.7 fWAR last season.
We're wishing Kevin Pillar the best with the White Sox, and thank him for his time with the Braves. He was an extremely liked player in the clubhouse, and that veteran leadership is something the White Sox could certainly use.