Steve Webb
Veteran could be a valuable bench asset
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers, great as they are, were sometimes a little light in the outfield last season. When Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger went down with injury, there wasn’t much to fill in for them. Zach McKinstry was a rookie, Luke Raley, too. At one point, their outfield looked more suited to Oklahoma City than to the big leagues. But the team has now added some outfield depth, signing veteran Kevin Pillar to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training.
Pillar, 33, hit .231 with 15 homers and 47 RBIs in 124 games for the Mets last season, his ninth in the big leagues. Pillar carries a .260 career batting average over 1,029 games with the Blue Jays, Giants, Red Sox, Rockies and Mets. He’s a hard-nosed ballplayer, who’s not afraid to sacrifice his body for a catch. And, he famously took a pitch to the face last year, which he bounced back from in record time, delivering the lineup card to home plate the next day to the cheers of Met fans.
Manager Dave Roberts was excited about the signing. “He’s a pro,” the Dodgers’ skipper said today. “He’s a good guy to have in the organization. …his character and his track record made it an easy decision to bring him in.”
Since it’s a minor league deal, it’s more like an insurance policy than anything else, but you’d have to think he’s got a pretty good chance of making the opening day roster. Let’s see how his Spring Training goes…
