There's no room on Braves roster for Kevin Pillar despite his heartbreaking comments

The start of the 2024 season has not been what the Atlanta Braves imagined. Spencer Strider is done for the year, Ronald Acuña Jr. is struggling, and they're in the middle of the pack in home runs. Despite all that has gone wrong, Atlanta enters play on Monday with a record of 19-7. That's not only the best in the National League, but it's the best in all of baseball.

The fact that they've been so good when so much has gone wrong speaks to just how talented and deep this Braves roster is. Players like Acuña and Strider generate the most headlines, but you can't forget guys like Marcell Ozuna, Reynaldo Lopez, and the loaded bullpen.

They're able to be as good as they are because of their star-studded roster, but they also have a ton of depth. Another thing that they have is tremendous camaraderie, which in a 162-game season is so important. Just ask Jesse Chavez how important good clubhouse chemistry is in this sport.

All of the above is why Kevin Pillar revealed on the Foul Territory podcast that he "would've done anything to go back there." Unfortunately, the fact that Atlanta is so deep means that they simply don't have room for Pillar.

Braves don't have room for Kevin Pillar no matter how badly he wants to return to Atlanta

"I would've done anything to go back there. I've never been happier playing baseball in my life. It was the most fun I ever had. The group of guys, the culture, the winning, the city, it checked all of the boxes. That option wasn't there for me, so it was time for me to move on," Pillar said.

Pillar was as open as you'll see a professional athlete, expressing how badly he wants to return to a franchise that simply does not have room for him. At the end of the day, baseball is a business, and sometimes it can be a tough one.

The Braves essentially chose to sign Adam Duvall, a far better player to a one-year deal over Pillar. While Pillar was a good fit in the clubhouse and was decent against left-handers, Duvall is a player who should be starting elsewhere yet decided to take on a lesser role to come back to Atlanta, a place in which he won a World Series back in 2021.

With the Braves not being an option, Pillar wound up signing a one-year deal to join the White Sox but he had just four hits in 25 at-bats for them before getting DFA'd. Now, Pillar is going to hope that he can find another MLB opportunity elsewhere. We know that unfortunately, that opportunity won't come with the Braves.