Rockies acquire outfielder Kevin Pillar from Red Sox

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies added outfield depth by acquiring Kevin Pillar from Boston in a trade-deadline deal Monday.

In exchange, the Red Sox received a player to be named or cash along with international amateur signing bonus pool space.

Pillar is joining his fourth team since being traded on April 2, 2019, from the Toronto Blue Jays to the San Francisco Giants. He signed a deal with Boston in February.

The 31-year-old Pillar batted .274 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 30 games for the Red Sox. He played a bulk of this season in right field, a spot occupied in Colorado by Charlie Blackmon.

Pillar figures to spend time in center field with David Dahl currently on the injured list. In 12 career games at Coors Field, Pillar has a .326 average with one homer and seven RBIs.

“We’re hoping that Kevin can come in and provide a spark to our offense and play an above-average center field in a park that demands it,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s an aggressive, hard-nosed player. He’s a leader. I know it’s used a lot, but he’s a gamer.”

Black sees Pillar hitting all over the batting order — from leadoff to the No. 8 spot — just like he did in Boston. More than anything, Black appreciates Pillar’s grit.

“It’s more about the player and the winning type of game he brings every day,” Black said. “He plays hard. He’ll dive. He’ll crash into walls. He’ll try to steal a base. He’ll break up two. His style is his style. For me, from the other side watching him over the years, it’s a winning type of player.”

Pillar was originally drafted by Toronto in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft. He’s a career .261 hitter and has five seasons with double-digit steals, including 25 in 2015.

It’s the second straight day the Rockies orchestrated a trade as they remain in the postseason hunt. On Sunday, they added reliever Mychal Givens from the Baltimore Orioles for prospects and cash. Givens has allowed two runs over 13 innings this season for the Orioles. He has 19 strikeouts and two walks.

Cox Media Group