Beloved former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar opens up about why he can’t stand Ross Atkins
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Victor William
Mar 27, 2026 (9:20)
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Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Kevin Pillar publicly forgave GM Ross Atkins to bring massive emotional closure and intense excitement to our championship city.
It always hurts when a beloved homegrown star leaves the city on completely bitter terms.
Pillar admitted that he disliked
Pillar (Drafted Round 32, 2011 by Toronto Blue Jays) was the absolute heart and soul of those electric playoff runs a decade ago.
We all felt the raw sting when the front office dismantled that cherished core to start a brutal rebuilding process.
Trading away fan favorites is an incredibly harsh reality of the modern baseball business.
The veteran outfielder admitted he genuinely hated Atkins for shipping him out to San Francisco back in 2019.
“I was one of his biggest critics,” Pillar said on Blue Bird Territory March 24. “For a long time, I did not like Ross Atkins for multiple reasons.” -Pillar
He stubbornly held onto that massive grudge for years while bouncing around the league to keep his career alive.
Pillar finished his 2025 season hitting .209 over 20 gritty games down in Texas.
Time eventually heals all wounds, and seeing the massive success of this current roster finally changed his mind entirely.
The Blue Jays proved their brutal rebuilding vision was completely right
There is a massive collective sigh of relief among fans knowing the painful teardown actually created a true powerhouse.
Atkins took an unbelievable amount of heat from this passionate city for blowing up a winning roster.
He stayed completely committed to his plan and trusted young prospects like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to build a sustainable winner.
Our boys proved the front office right by posting a brilliant 94-68 record and capturing the American League pennant last fall.
Having a revered alumnus like Pillar publicly validate that painful process feels incredibly validating for everyone involved.
It perfectly bridges the gap between our cherished past and this incredibly explosive present era.
The entire clubhouse is completely unified right now and hungry to finish the ultimate job this October.
We can finally stop looking backward and focus entirely on the massive championship window sitting right in front of us.
The Opening Day energy is absolutely electric, and we are beyond ready to watch this team dominate.
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Kazuma Okamoto speaks on his regrets from free agency
Kazuma Okamoto speaks on his regrets from free agency
| POLL | ||
MARS 27|285 ANSWERS Beloved former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar opens up about why he can’t stand Ross Atkins Are you glad Kevin Pillar finally made peace with the Blue Jays front office? | ||
| Yes | 260 | 91.2 % |
| No | 25 | 8.8 % |
| List of polls | ||