Superman has landed in Arlington, Texas.
Former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar made the Texas Rangers' opening-day roster, general manager Chris Young said on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old Pillar is now set to suit up for his 13th MLB season with his 10th big-league team despite telling USA Today's Bob Nightengale that he would likely retire at the end of the 2024 season last year.
Texas opens its season with a home series against the Boston Red Sox beginning on Thursday.
Pillar spent the first 17 games of the 2024 campaign with the Chicago White Sox before being released and latching on with the Los Angeles Angels.
Once in L.A., the longtime Toronto Blue Jays outfielder turned his season around. Over 83 games with the Angels, Pillar slashed .236/.291/.378 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
"When I say it's over, it's over, there's no coming back," he told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi last August.
Pillar spent time in all three outfield spots with Los Angeles last year, but was most successful playing centre field, racking up three defensive runs saved over 312.1 innings.
From 2013-19 with the Blue Jays, Pillar wowed fans with his acrobatic catches in the outfield, often pulling home runs back at the Rogers Centre wall to earn the moniker of Superman. With the bat, he carried a .692 OPS over his seven seasons in Toronto, collecting 55 homers, 231 RBIs and 69 stolen bases.
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