SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The last few days were unlike anything Kevin Pillar had ever experienced.
“You feel like you’ve been in this game a long time, you feel like you’ve experienced everything that can be thrown at you in this game — and I was wrong,” Pillar said Sunday morning at Salt River Fields.
The Chicago White Sox released the veteran outfielder Friday. Sunday, he was back on a major-league contract.
“It was a bit shocking, given what I thought my role was going to be on this team coming into camp — kind of helping create a little bit of a different environment inside those clubhouse walls,” Pillar said. “Felt like I was having a pretty good spring, and then got the call and just the uncertainty of the future was the toughest part.
“I just committed so much over this offseason, these last five weeks of spring training, felt like I had a lot to offer. Just not knowing if I was going to get the chance to come back here or sign somewhere else, it was definitely tough. When (general manager Chris Getz) called me up again and we were able to work something out, I was equally as excited as I was relieved.”
Pillar entered camp as a nonroster invitee after signing a minor-league deal in the offseason.
“We’ve got players in camp that are XX(B) free agents — they have earned the right to either, they read the situation, they have conversations with us and they have the right to opt out,” Getz said. “When it applied to Kevin at that point, where we were at that stage of spring training, we weren’t ready to commit to him being on this team.
“So, what I did is I encouraged him to see what else is out there and left the door open to come back, but also let him know that we’ve got a lot of things up in the air. Couldn’t guarantee anything. A couple of days passed and we worked something out. It looked like we were able to make it happen based on some of the decisions that we made and we were working on. So there was an opportunity for him and we were able to get to the finish line.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“There are things over the last 48 hours, rules and regulations when it comes to NRIs and contractual situations that I wasn’t aware of,” Pillar said. “I was able to talk to some people within the industry, agents, union and stuff. And understand what Getzy was facing, things he couldn’t say, reasons he couldn’t give me.
“Me and Getzy were teammates, we were friends. I know that makes our relationship a little more challenging, him being my boss. But I felt like he owed it to me as a former teammate, friend to give me an explanation. While we were on the phone, we were able to come to an understanding and agreement to find a way for me to come back here. Just fortunate to be able to come back and join this group.”
He’ll return to give the Sox a right-handed hitting option for right field to tandem with left-handed hitting Dominic Fletcher. Pillar could also fill in when center fielder Luis Robert Jr. or left fielder Andrew Benintendi needs a day off.
Pillar, 35, has a career .257/.294/.409 slash line with 106 home runs and 423 RBIs in 1,114 games during 11 major-league seasons. He entered Sunday hitting .250 with six doubles and five RBIs in 18 Cactus League games. He made 14 starts in right, the most of anyone on the team.
“He’s a great team guy, he’s a high character guy, great makeup guy that invested into this ballclub for five, six weeks,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s a leader in there who brings a lot of value to us.
“I’m super excited to have him back.”
To make room for Pillar, the Sox designated pitcher Touki Toussaint for assignment. Toussaint went 4-6 with a 4.97 ERA in 19 appearances (15 starts) in 2023 after signing with the Sox last June. After allowing 11 earned runs in his first two spring outings, Toussaint did not have an earned run in his final four appearances.
Ahead of the final day of spring training — Monday’s exhibition game with Charlotte — the Sox have 42 players in camp: 22 pitchers, three catchers, seven infielders and 10 outfielders.
“I’m very happy to get back and hopefully have the chance to go out on my own terms,” said Pillar, who noted he’s about 100 days shy of 10 years of service time. “I’m not afraid of competition. I know they brought in someone else (Robbie Grossman on a minor-league deal Friday) that can do similar things to me and if it’s not him there’s always someone else in this game. I’m well aware of it, I was that guy, that someone else. Never lost sight that there’s always someone trying to take your job in this game.
“I take these at-bats like they’re life and death. Nothing changes for me.”
