Braves: Kevin Pillar finds a new home

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MLB: JUL 19 Diamondbacks at Braves

The Braves have officially moved on in left field. They declined Eddie Rosario’s option and acquired the much younger Jarred Kelenic in a trade with the Mariners earlier this offseason. He’ll get most of the reps in left, but the Braves still should be looking to add a competent right-handed bat in case the Kelenic experiment goes south.

Some thought Kevin Pillar might still be in the cards, but he’s decided to ink a minor-league pact with the Chicago White Sox.

Pillar had some fantastic moments with the Braves this past season. He’s the kind of player that will run through a wall if it will help the team win, and it was on full display each time he stepped in between the lines.

I would have had no issue bringing him back in some capacity, but I would argue the Braves should probably be looking to upgrade. Kelenic is oozing with upside. There’s a chance he takes a stranglehold of left field and starts nearly every day. But there’s also a chance that he regresses back to who he was in his first two seasons with the Mariners, when he hit a combined .168 over 147 games.

Pillar was a fantastic teammate, but he hit .228 with nine homers and a .664 OPS, accruing -0.1 WAR. He’s not much more than a fringe roster guy that can fill in occasionally. The Braves need more than that in case Kelenic struggles.

The Braves aren’t going to do or die by Kelenic’s performance in 2024, but Alex Anthopoulos isn’t the type of general manager to overlook the minor details. A strong right-handed bat that can at least platoon with Kelenic is the last remaining piece of the puzzle for the Braves this offseason. Look for them to make a move before the start of the season.

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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon

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