
Former Jay Kevin Pillar retires after 13 seasons
Send this page to someone via email
Share this item on Twitter
Share this item via WhatsApp
Share this item on Facebook
Kevin Pillar is hanging up his cleats.
The former Toronto Blue Jays centre-fielder announced his retirement Wednesday after 13 seasons in Major League Baseball.
Pillar became a Blue Jays fan favourite and earned the 'Superman' nickname for routinely making highlight-reel catches to rob opposing teams of home runs.
Story continues below advertisement
The 36-year-old from West Hills, Calif., spent seven seasons in Toronto from 2013 to 2019, tallying 44 homers and 231 RBIs in 695 games.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
After the Blue Jays traded him to the San Francisco Giants in 2019, Pillar travelled through the majors.
He had stints with the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers from 2020 to 2025.
Pillar initially said he would retire after the 2024 season, but ultimately signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers this season. He made the MLB club out of spring training but was designated for assignment May 31.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2025.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
23 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
MLB trade deadline tracker: Padres add Mason Miller, Jays trade for Shane Bieber in final hours
The San Diego Padres added hard-throwing closer Mason Miller and the Toronto Blue Jays dealt for former Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber in a flurry of moves before Major League Baseball's trade deadline on Thursday. The recent swaps are on top of several deals over the past few days — including the Mariners landing slugger Eugenio Suarez — but several big names could still be on the move, including Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller, Cleveland's Steven Kwan and Arizona pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. MLB's trade deadline is at 6 p.m. EDT. on Thursday. Padres add All-Star Mason Miller, lefty JP Sears from Athletics The 26-year-old Miller is one of the game's top relievers and has a fastball that averages more than 101 mph. The 2024 All-Star has 20 saves in 23 opportunities, a 3.76 ERA and 59 strikeouts this season. He's under team control through 2029. The Padres also added JP Sears, a lefty who has a 7-9 record and 4.95 ERA this season, striking out 95 batters over 22 starts. San Diego sent the A's a package of prospects, including highly-regarded shortstop Leo De Vries and right-handed pitchers Henry Baez, Braden Nett and Eduarniel Nunez. Shane Bieber off to Blue Jays, nearing MLB return Bieber is headed to the AL East-leading Blue Jays in a deal with the rebuilding Cleveland Guardians, who also dealt right-hander Paul Sewald in the division to the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers. Bieber, who is working his way back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, has made five rehab starts. His most recent outing was Tuesday for Double-A Akron, in which he allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven in four innings. His next rehab start was scheduled for Sunday. The Guardians are getting right-hander Khal Stephen from the Blue Jays. Bieber had spent his entire career in Cleveland, including winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2020. He has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA and 958 strikeouts in 136 games, with 134 starts since his debut in 2018. He agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract last fall with a $16 million player option for 2026. Tigers pry closer Kyle Finnegan from Nationals AL Central-leading Detroit acquired Kyle Finnegan from Washington for two prospects, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade wasn't announced. The 33-year-old Finnegan was an All-Star in 2024 but his velocity has been down this season. He has 20 saves with a 4.38 ERA in 2025. The Nats received minor league pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales, Detroit's third and 10th round draft picks from 2024, respectively. Cubs add more pitching, trade for Andrew Kittredge from Orioles The Cubs continued seek help on the mound, adding right-hander Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles one day after agreeing to a deal with the Washington Nationals for righty Michael Soroka. The 35-year-old Kittredge was an All-Star in 2021 and has a 3.44 ERA over nine seasons. The reliever has a 3.45 ERA in 31 games this season. He signed a $9 million, one-year deal with Baltimore last offseason that includes a $9 million club option for 2026 with a $1 million buyout. Other deals, notes — The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Hunter Feduccia from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase, catcher Ben Rortvedt and left-handed pitcher Adam Serwinowski. — The 35-year-old Sewald — who is headed to Detroit in a trade with Cleveland — is eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday after being shut down with a strained right shoulder. He is 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA in 18 games this season, averaging more than one strikeout each inning. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. — Baltimore put right-hander Zach Eflin on the injured list with lower back discomfort Thursday. Eflin was a potential trade target, but has made only 14 starts this year and is on an expiring contract. ___ AP Baseball Writer Noah Trister and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joe Reedy contributed to this story. ___ AP MLB:


CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Riding the hype': Fans paying a premium to see first-place Toronto Blue Jays
Fans take photos as a large Canadian flag is unfurled before the start of the MLB game between New York Yankees and the Blue Jays in Toronto on Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO — Heather Gardiner couldn't give her seats away. The Blue Jays owned a record under .500 back in the spring, and looked poised for another middling campaign with little playoff hope. Things then drastically turned around on the field. Toronto now sits first in the American League East. And tickets are a hot commodity — often at a hefty price. Getting into Rogers Centre to see Canada's only Major League Baseball team has quickly morphed into a costly endeavour this summer that has surprised some fans. A recent sold-out series against the New York Yankees saw the cheapest seats on resale sites going for more than $200 apiece, while a ticket in the 500 level for Friday's series-opener with the Kansas City Royals was in the neighbourhood of $80 as of Wednesday afternoon — more than double face value. Gardiner and her family have two season tickets near the visitors dugout. The tech consultant, who's had seats since Toronto's 2015 playoff run, sold most of her extras at cost to friends last season. After the Jays' underwhelming start to 2025, interest dropped to near zero. 'We were posting on social media three days before a game saying, 'We can't make it and if you want the tickets let me know and they're yours,'' Gardiner said. 'They were free and people weren't taking them.' Toronto's surge up the standings signalled a drastic shift across the ticket market. Fans can make purchases directly from the team through Ticketmaster, while the website also has verified resale options — usually at an inflated price — similar to other big-hitters like SeatGeek and StubHub when supply is scarce. Jagger Long, who runs Toronto-based resale website Karma Tickets, said a number of factors, including summer holidays, tourism and a winning team are contributing to the spikes. 'We're riding the hype of the Jays,' he said. 'People are spending the money. If they weren't, the prices would come down.' A multi-million dollar renovation of Rogers Centre that improved sightlines, added more bars, communal areas and other amenities has also raised the stakes, Long said. 'They've done a great job of turning it into more of a social event,' he said. That mainly happens in the common areas where general admission tickets — standing room, without a seat — can be purchased for a face value of roughly $20. But those tickets — along with blocks of seats in the 500s — are often snapped up by scalpers or fellow fans looking to make a quick buck, Long said. General admission seats for Toronto's opener against Kansas City were priced around $50 and up for resale Wednesday. 'People are watching the market,' said Long, who added website algorithms can boost prices automatically when tickets are at a premium. 'Even average fans, professional ticket sellers, part-time ticket sellers, they watch. They treat it like a part-time job or a full-time job.' The Jays said in a statement the club encourages fans to plan ahead and purchase tickets well in advance of games. The team noted there are plenty of seats available for series later in August and September. Long agreed getting tickets early is the best practice, but added scanning resale options for popular games can still garner good results. 'Jot down the price and then go back in a few days,' he said. 'If the prices haven't really moved, that's an indicator … you eventually might find a hidden gem.' The face value of Gardiner's tickets sit at just over $100 each per game. She hasn't looked to make a profit in the past, but sold for as much as $350 apiece for the Yankees series, and got $450 this weekend. Prices for season-ticket holders jumped significantly following the Rogers Centre renovations. Gardiner said she knows a number of fellow fans — including some with tickets since Day 1 back in 1977 at Exhibition Stadium — who have gone that route to maintain their small pieces of baseball real estate. The financial calculus of attending Jays games aside, Gardiner said the energy at the ballpark is comparable to when she first bought in a decade ago. 'It's like being there in 2015,' she said. 'There was something different, and that's what it's feeling like in that building. 'Everyone keeps saying it's like a playoff game. It is electric.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.


Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Toronto Blue Jays acquire former Cy Young-winning pitcher Shane Bieber from Cleveland
TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays have made a splash on MLB trade deadline day, acquiring right-hander Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland receives righty Khal Stephen, a 22-year-old minor-league pitcher ranked the No. 5 prospect in Toronto's system by MLB Pipeline.