Report: Blue Jays Call Up Top Prospect Kevin Pillar

The Twittersphere is abuzz with reports that the Toronto Blue Jays have called up top prospect Kevin Pillar. The move has been reported by Steve Springer, a Major League scout for the Blue Jays, via his Twitter feed:

If these reports are true, and upon further investigation inot Springer’s account, they appear to be, Pillar would be making his MLB début in just his third year of pro ball after being drafted in the 32nd round out of California State University Dominguez Hills. As for corresponding roster moves it appears as if Colby Rasmus will be headed to the DL, although by my count the Blue Jays currently have 9 relievers if you include the recently demoted to the ‘pen Esmil Rogers, so there could be a move there…but with every Blue Jays starter in sight seemingly injured, and those that are healthy barely able to get through 5 innings, we might just need all 9 guys back there. As for Pillar, he has absolutely raked at every level of baseball he has played professionally, most recently hitting for a gaudy line of .299/.341/.493 for Triple-A Buffalo in the International League. In 2012, Pillar played at three different levels, beginning the season with the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts. He received a mid-season promotion to High-A Dunedin. At the conclusion of summer baseball, Pillar was asked to join the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League. Pillar started 2013 with Double-A New Hampshire, where he tore the cover off of the ball for 71 games before getting bumped up to Triple-A Buffalo. If Pillar has in fact gotten the call, what can you expect from the young outfielder? Kyle Matte at Jays Journal breaks down his swing mechanics, and overall toolsiness in his Top Prospects Report last offseason:

"Swing Mechanics Pillar has a simple stance with a wide base and his weight on his back foot. He makes a smooth weight transfer from the load position to his follow through, and while his home run potential is limited by his lack of physical projection, he still makes solid contact with a line drive oriented swing. He’s disciplined at the plate, as he’ll wait out his pitch, and won’t cheat himself with a half hearted swing when it arrives. Tools Breakdown While the stolen base numbers are incredibly flashy, in reality, Pillar’s speed is more average than elite. He gets his stolen bases by using his smarts and experience in the game, reading pitchers and getting quick jumps. In Double-A, Triple-A, and especially the majors where pitchers have learned how to vary their timing and hold runners, Pillar might struggle to steal 20 bases over the course of a full season. His best tool is his bat, which has solid-average potential because of the traits I described in the swing mechanics section above. His age has given him an advantage over lesser competition, but even against pitchers on his level he should be able to sustain a .280+ batting average with his abilities. At 24 years of age and physically mature, there’s not much projection left in the power department. The tool is below average, as Pillar may struggle to reach double digit home runs even if given a full season’s worth of at-bats."

With the Blue Jays out of contention, a Pillar call up would certainly give Blue Jays fans a reason to watch for the next couple of weeks, and would give us something to talk about with the apparent snub of former golden boy Anthony Gose. More to come… YYeah, I’m definitely going to go with this call up is legitimate  

Looking forward to (hopefully) seeing Pillar in action tonight down at the Rogers Centre SkyDome.