Veteran major league outfielder Kevin Pillar announced his retirement on Wednesday after 13 seasons.
Pillar, who was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers in late May, described what went into his decision on Wednesday's Foul Territory.
"I guess I can officially say I'm done playing," Pillar began. "I wanted to be 100% sure. Because of things I went through last year, I kinda said it was gonna be my last year. Then I got into the offseason and my mindset kinda changed.
“I wanted to make sure that I was really done playing and it started eating at me a little bit. I kinda missed it. I didn't like the way the year ended last year for me. I had the thumb surgery in the offseason. I went through that tedious process of rehabbing it, got cleared to start playing catch and hitting and was like, 'You know what, if I don't go back and try I might have some regrets.' I'm very thankful that I went back and went into spring training and got a chance to play for the Rangers. It was unfortunate that my season was cut short when I was DFA'd. But once I got on the other side and got a chance to be home and be Dad and spend time...I wake up every morning now excited to be Dad and see what the day brings."
BREAKING: Kevin Pillar announces his retirement after 13 years in the big leagues.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 2, 2025
Congratulations on a great career, @KPILLAR4! pic.twitter.com/uoi1el7agW
Pillar played 13 seasons, seven of which came with the Toronto Blue Jays. Pillar also played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers.
He finishes his career slashing .255/.293/.405 with 114 home runs and 469 RBIs.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Veteran Outfielder Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement After 13 Seasons.
