Mets Rumors: Kevin Pillar Agrees to 1-Year, $5M Contract in MLB Free Agency

Free-agent center fielder Kevin Pillar and the New York Mets reached an agreement on a contract Monday, according to Andy Martino of SNY.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported it's a one-year deal. MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Pillar is guaranteed $5 million for 2021 and that his total payout could climb to $10 million over two seasons.

Pillar made 54 appearances for the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies in 2020, finishing with six home runs, 26 RBI and a .288/.336/.462 slash line.

Some fans will likely question why the Mets didn't lock in on Jackie Bradley Jr., the best center fielder still on the board. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Saturday the franchise continued to look at Bradley as an option.

Now, Bradley would seemingly no longer be in play.

The Mets already added Albert Almora Jr., but they were smart in not allowing that to preclude the addition of another outfielder. Almora's offensive value is limited (28 home runs and a .398 slugging percentage in 489 games), making him more of a bench option rather than an everyday contributor.

Pillar isn't an offensive dynamo, either, but his performance at the plate has improved over the past three years. From 2013 to 2017, he had a .693 OPS and an 86 OPS-plus, according to Baseball Reference. Those numbers have climbed to .727 and 93, respectively, since 2018.

The 32-year-old addresses a need stemming from the fact that Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith are all lefties. Pillar could platoon with Nimmo or occupy one of the corner spots depending on the pitching matchup.

Feinsand spoke to a National League executive who said the Mets "really want to make a splash and spend some money" after having missed out on Trevor Bauer. Perhaps signing Pillar will give acting general manager Zack Scott more flexibility to package one of his starting outfielders in a trade to strengthen another area of the roster.