Blue Jays trade Kevin Pillar to the Giants for three players
The Toronto Blue Jays are continuing their teardown by trading their longest-tenured player. On Tuesday, the team announced that outfielder Kevin Pillar had been traded to the San Francisco Giants for three players.
OFFICIAL: We've acquired INF Alen Hanson, RHP Derek Law and RHP Juan De Paula from the @SFGiants in exchange for OF Kevin Pillar. pic.twitter.com/rq5c1Vu58M
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 2, 2019
Pillar, 30, hit .252/.282/.426 in 2018, and is owed $5.8 million for the 2019 season. The Giants may have one of the highest payrolls in baseball, but Pillar’s salary is worth it for the experience he brings. Pillar just started his seventh year in the majors, while Giants outfielders Steven Duggar and Connor Joe have a total of 51 major league games between them.
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The Blue Jays are continuing to incrementally tear down their team and make room for some exciting prospects. But this trade isn’t about Vlad Guerrero Jr., sadly. It’s about a different prospect.
Blue Jays are in trade mode. Looking to make room for prospect Anthony Alford. Thus, Pillar is on block. SF makes sense.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 2, 2019
Vladito is currently rehabbing an oblique strain, so it’s understandable that this trade isn’t about getting him into the majors. But that won’t last long. Guerrero has resumed baseball activities, and once he’s healed it’ll be pretty hard for the Blue Jays to convince fans (and maybe even themselves) that the most promising prospect in the game needs to stay in the minors.
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