“It’s all I’ve ever known.”
An emotional Kevin Pillar opens up about being traded to the #SFGiants. pic.twitter.com/aZGqELgfzV
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 2, 2019
Kevin Pillar spoke to the Toronto media on Tuesday morning, hours after he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for a package of players. Pillar, who has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays since being drafted by Toronto in 2011, held back tears as he reflected on heading to the Bay Area.
“A lot of mixed emotions,” Pillar said. “I think some relief in some way. I mean you hear some rumors in the offseason, something new, to me at least. And then I feel like ever since I’ve been here it’s kind of been a topic of conversation. ‘How are you going to deal with it? What do you think about it? How do you play with it?’ So I think in a weird way it’s a bit of a relief. It’s definitely an emotional time for me and my family.
“Definitely excited though. Location-wise I think, aside from going back to LA or Arizona where I live, you know being on the West Coast is going to be a pretty cool opportunity for me to be a lot closer to my family.”
Pillar was then asked what makes this so emotional?
“It’s all I’ve ever known,” Pillar said, his voice cracking. “You spend a lot of time here, you spend more time here than you do in your home in the offseason. I spend more time with people here than I do with my own family, so that part of it is hard.”
Pillar is no stranger to the West Coast. The outfielder grew up in Los Angeles and was a standout at Chaminade College Prep before playing his college ball at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Pillar is expected to join the team for Tuesday’s game vs. the Dodgers. He will wear No. 1 according to Alex Pavlovic.