Former Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Rowdy Tellez has found himself in a frustrating situation.
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced they had designated Tellez for assignment, removing the player from their 40-man roster.
But along with losing his spot in the lineup, the fotmer Blue Jays fan favourite will also miss out on a major payday as he was just four plate appearances shy of a hefty $200,000 bonus.
We have recalled INF Liover Peguero and OF Joshua Palacios from Triple-A Indianapolis, and designated 1B Rowdy Tellez and OF Michael A. Taylor for assignment.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 24, 2024
Tellez, 29, inked a one-year, $3.2 million deal with the Pirates, which came with a $200,000 bonus if he hit 425 plate appearances. But after racking up 421 with just a handful of games left, the Pirates cut him — leaving him unable to reach the milestone.
With their playoff hopes already dashed and a last-place finish on the horizon, the Pirates’ decision to part ways with Tellez has fans raising eyebrows. Many suspect the franchise dropped him to avoid paying the bonus.
Folks on social media were quick to point out that the California native’s stats were good enough to keep him in the lineup.
Seriously, the Rowdy Tellez DFA is such a blatant microcosm of how egregious the Pirates' operations are.
His .243 was good enough to keep in the lineup for 421 ABs, but not for 425?
Cheapness and aloofness to the BONE.
Arrest Bob Nutting, and make him cellmates with Fisher.
— Drz (@TheMattDrzik) September 24, 2024
One X user argued that the teams’ money-saving decision could keep free agents away from Pittsburgh going forward.
I really don’t care much about Rowdy Tellez’s bank account. But boy, the way that plays to potential free agents when they see something like what happened today can’t be positive.
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 24, 2024
“Rowdy Tellez deserves better. The fans deserve better. The team deserves better,” another user wrote, chiming in on the heated debate.
I’ve never been so disappointed in a baseball organization than I am with the @Pirates today.
Getting rid of a fan favorite, well-performing player is just a disgraceful move.
Rowdy Tellez deserves better. The fans deserve better. The team deserves better. pic.twitter.com/Vp9LnfigBq
— Paul Skenes’ Mustache (@SkenesStache) September 24, 2024
Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 30th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, Tellez made his big league debut in 2018 and quickly won over Toronto fans with his hitting power.
At just 24 years old, he became the fifth-youngest player in franchise history to hit a grand slam. In 2019, he made even more history, becoming the first Blue Jays player to hit 13 home runs in his first 65 major league games, and 17 homers in his first 85.
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