Despite Rangers' denials, Kevin Pillar feels like a whistleblower, not a liar

Whenever you hear a negative quote from a former player, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Especially a veteran player who was DFA'd by the club.

So when utility man Kevin Pillar let his opinion be known about his time with the Texas Rangers, it was met with a certain amount of skepticism and poo-pooed as sour grapes from a disgruntled ex-employee.

But if you examine exactly what the newly retired 13-year vet said, and compare it with the product being delivered on the field this season, you should admit that there's some truth on both sides of the coin.

Is what Kevin Pillar says about the Rangers?

Pillar, who was DFA'd by the Rangers on May 25 after spending the majority of his time with the organization rehabbing a back injury, had a lot to say about his days in a Ranger uniform.

On Foul Territory, He said, "When I got to the clubhouse in Texas, there's a lot of talent in there and a lot of individual stuff going on...A lot of guys doing their own things. You might not see people until the game.

"Your perception of a team can be a little different when you actually get into Spring Training and you're around the guys, It was a little bit different... them coming off a World Series win a couple of years ago, that was the team I thought I was joining."

There may be some truth about Kevin Pillar's opinion of the 2025 Texas Rangers

There is no denying that this year's version of the Texas Rangers is a far different outfit from the version that won it all in 2023.

That team was about as rock solid as you can get from a core standpoint. Any club that can do what they did on the road in hostile environments is something special. That group was locked in and completely on the same wavelength.

This year's squad has had stretches offensively that have screamed that they are still a little bit fat from reaching the top of the mountain two years ago. If you are watching the same games night in and night out that we are, you'll admit there is not the same pep in their step.

You'd have to be in the clubhouse every day to know the truth about what Pillar says about his team's leadership and cohesiveness. And he was - for Spring Training and then two months of the regular season.

It might be foolish to knee-jerk and say that Pillar is just a journeyman with sour grapes over how his career ended in Arlington. This team has underperformed on offense this season, and it has been the group of Semien, Seager, Garcia, Jung, and Duran that has been the common denominator for both teams.

If doesn't do Pllar any good to point the finger in their direction unless he believes what he is saying o be true. Something is different and maybe he's just an honest whistleblower.