Not bad for a guy who was close to retiring just months ago. The Red Sox are throwing left-hander Garrett Crochet, so Pillar was likely always going to be in the lineup, but with Corey Seager taking the DH spot, that means Pillar got bumped to center field and Leody Taveras was pushed to the bench.

Pillar has officially made the Rangers’ Opening Day roster in a bench role. The 36-year-old outfielder is a valuable depth piece for a contending roster, but he can be safely ignored in all fantasy formats.

Ezequiel Duran is having a tough spring, and it looks like the Rangers might go with Pillar over him for their one open bench spot. It would give them some extra flexibility in center, as neither Evan Carter nor Leody Taveras figures to do much damage against left-handed pitchers.

Pillar spent time with the Angels and White Sox last year. The 36-year-old center fielder hit .229 with eight home runs and 45 RBI in 100 games in 2024. The Rangers have Ezequiel Duran and Leody Tavares as bench options that can hit from the right side and should see decent playing time given Joc Pederson and Evan Carter’s struggles with lefties. It might take an injury for Pillar, another right-handed bat, to be anything more than a depth piece.