The Atlanta Braves lost longtime franchise star Dansby Swanson this winter. And it has left them with the unenviable goal of building a winner without him. On Wednesday night, the team added a bit of depth with that goal in mind.

The Braves signed former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar to a minor league contract. If Pillar makes the Braves out of Spring Training, he'll earn a salary of $3 million.

It's been a minute since the 34-year-old outfielder has played a major role in the majors. The new Braves outfielder spent the beginning of last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers Triple-A team before suffering a shoulder injury.

However, Pillar does provide Atlanta with a few things. First is a potential bounce back candidate, especially defensively. While not great in recent years, Pillar does have a track record of great defense in center field.

Beyond that, the 34-year-old provides the Braves with a veteran presence behind Michael Harris II. The 21-year-old Harris won the National League's Rookie of the Year award in 2022 as he stood out for the 2021 World Series Champions.

An interesting wrinkle in this deal actually comes out of that 2021 season. While with the New York Mets, Braves pitcher Jacob Webb hit Pillar in the face with a pitch. He missed some time with multiple nasal fractures.

Webb is no longer in the Braves organization, so there shouldn't be any issue there. In any event, this could be a very shrewd move on behalf of Atlanta as they look to get back to the World Series in 2023.