With the Pittsburgh Pirates out of playoff rivalry, first baseman Rowdy Tellez was enjoying for a chance to obtain a $200,000 bonus primarily based on plate appearances. He entered Tuesday with 421 plate appearances, 4 away from incomes that extra bonus.
For Tellez, the prospect was dashed. With 5 video games left within the common season, the Pirates designated Tellez for task earlier than their Tuesday recreation in opposition to the Milwaukee Brewers. With MLB within the ultimate week of its common season, Tellez will seemingly finish his 2024 marketing campaign at 421 plate appearances, 4 shy of the 425 wanted to earn an additional $200,000.
Pirates common supervisor Ben Cherington informed reporters that the potential for a $200,000 bonus didn’t influence his determination to take away Tellez from the roster.
“We really feel like we gave Rowdy a number of alternative right here this yr,” Cherington mentioned Tuesday.
The Pirates signed Tellez to a one-year, $3.2 million deal within the offseason. By way of 383 at bats in 2024, Tellez slashed .243/.299/.392 with 13 residence runs and 56 RBIs. Whereas his general numbers are an enchancment from final yr (.215/.291/.376 with 13 residence runs and 47 RBIs in 2023), it’s a decline from 2022, the place he set a profession excessive in homers (35), RBIs (89) and hits (116).
Tellez struggled to start out the 2024 season, tallying only one residence run via Could. However he improved because the season progressed, the exclamation level occurring on July 5 when he hit a homer and a grand slam en path to a 14-2 drubbing over the New York Mets that triggered Pittsburgh to expire of fireworks.
The Pirates had been commerce deadline patrons and entered August chasing a playoff spot. However a 10-game shedding streak at the start of the month successfully ended the Pirates’ playoff hopes. The Pirates had been eradicated from playoff rivalry on Sept. 16. Eight days later, the group DFA’d Tellez.
MLB gamers of their contracts are eligible to obtain bonuses via the motivation clause in keeping with the CBA. Per MLB’s Fundamental Settlement, incentives primarily based on statistical achievement are prohibited. This implies predetermined, non-statistical benchmarks permit gamers to earn more money. For hitters, the commonest incentive is plate appearances. Staying on the lively roster for a sure variety of days may also earn a bonus, relying on the contract.
The Pirates misplaced 7-2 to the Brewers on Tuesday, falling to 73-84 in 2024. Along with Tellez, the Pirates additionally designated outfielder Michael A. Taylor for task.
(Picture: Jason Mowry / Getty Photographs)
