Ex-Red Sox Outfielder Seen As Top MLB Trade Target; Reunion Would Make Sense

Boston could use the right-handed bat

Scott Neville | Jul 29, 2024

Jul 31, 2020; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Kevin Pillar (23) hits a single in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been active at the trade deadline but has yet to make the big-league roster notably better.

The first-time leader of baseball operations' biggest move was to trade red-hot second base prospect Nick Yorke in exchange for Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Quinn Priester -- who will go to Triple-A Worcester and develop as a starting pitcher for the future.

As for additions that will help Boston right away? Left-hander James Paxton and catcher Danny Jansen will join the team's postseason pursuit. It's still expected that Breslow will attempt to add a reliever and right-handed bat before Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Could a former Red Sox outfielder be the impact bat they need in a light position-player market?

"Kevin Pillar, who’s said he’ll likely retire at year’s end, will have a chance to finish with a contender," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Sunday. "Lots of interest in the Angels’ veteran outfielder."

Pillar is hitting .287 with 20 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 32 RBIs and a .824 OPS (128 OPS+) in 68 games this season between his time with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels this season.

In a perfect world, the Red Sox would find an impact right-handed bat that could play in the infield but the market is not ideal with less than 24 hours remaining and few options to choose from.

Should Pillar enter the mix, the Red Sox would have a veteran player with above-average offensive production and strong defensive pedigree -- though he certainly has regressed from his Toronto Blue Jays days.

The 35-year-old had a strong 30-game tenure with Boston during the 2020 Covid-19-shortened season but has yet to see what it's like to be supported by a die-hard Red Sox fanbase as there were no fans allowed that year.

More MLB: Red Sox Trade Surging Top Prospect For Struggling Former First-Round Pick

Published Jul 29, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu