Boston Red Sox: Five outfield options to consider if Mookie Betts is traded
By Matt Clark
Kevin Pillar
It is difficult to imagine a better defensive outfield than that of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts. It will be difficult for the Red Sox to match the defensive prowess of Betts if they decide to trade him away. However, should they decide to sign Kevin Pillar to fill the vacancy left in the outfield, it is conceivable that the outfield defense would actually get better.
Known as one the of best defensive outfielders in all of Major League Baseball, Pillar can be found routinely on highlight reels with his incredible diving catches. Much like Bradley Jr., Pillar has a knack for making the most difficult catches look routine.
While Pillar, or “Superman” as he was nicknamed while in Toronto, has never won a Gold Glove award, it is less of an indictment on his defense and more of a credit to Bradley Jr., Kevin Kiermaier and Byron Buxton, whom Pillar competed with for the award during his time in the American League.
While Pillar has been known primarily for his defensive skills and not so much for offensive production, he thrived after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the San Francisco Giants five games into last season. Pillar would have a career-high in home runs (21), runs batted in (88) and runs scored (83) while batting .259, with 14 stolen bases. As a result of his strong performance in 2019, he would receive a vote for National League MVP.
Having played in the American League East division for six seasons, Pillar is very familiar with the division. Even if he cannot replicate his career-best numbers from last season, Pillar would represent an excellent defensive replacement for Betts and is serviceable at the plate.