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Report: Giants look into trading for Blue Jays' Pillar

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The San Francisco Giants are in search for outfield help and have explored a trade for Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Newly minted free agent Brandon Guyer is also an option after the veteran was released by the Chicago White Sox on Friday, Schulman adds.

Reports of San Francisco pursuing outfield help follows news of Cameron Maybin's release from his minor-league deal. As a non-roster invite to spring training, the 31-year-old endured a rough spring, posting a .163/.250/.233 slash line over 43 at-bats.

Pillar, considered a plus defender in center, is under team control through the 2020 campaign and recently settled on a one-year, $5.8-million contract in his second year of arbitration. Over four full seasons at the big-league level, the 30-year-old has shown flashes of pop but lacks plate discipline, walking in less than five percent of plate appearances. Over 601 games since the beginning of 2015, Pillar has authored a .263/.301/.401 slash line with 50 homers and 68 stolen bases.

While it's unclear whether the Blue Jays would entertain a deal, Toronto is in the midst of a rebuild under new management, which has aggressively parted ways with the previous regime's players. Most notably, general manager Ross Atkins traded away Russell Martin this past winter and released Troy Tulowitzki despite $38 million remaining on the shortstop's contract.

San Francisco's outfield is currently comprised of Gerardo Parra and Mac Williamson, with Steven Duggar in center. Over the past two seasons, no outfield has been worse offensively than the Giants', according to FanGraphs. They've relied on 18 different outfielders since the beginning of 2017.

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