The Pittsburgh Pirates released Rowdy Tellez four at-bats shy of a bonus.
The Pittsburgh Pirates sparked controversy by designating former first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment with only six games left in the season. Tellez was just four plate appearances away from securing a ** $ 250,000 bonus** at the time of the DFA. He spoke on Foul Territory, expressing that while he understands the business of baseball, the decision still surprised him.
“It kind of caught me off guard, really,” Tellez stated. “But this game’s a business, and those things happen. You don’t want them to happen, but I can say that they didn’t do anything wrong on paper. I just felt like it was one of those things that blindsided me. I wish I was able to finish out the last six games with the guys and say my goodbyes.”
At 29, Tellez had signed a one-year, $ 3.2 million contract with the Pirates last offseason. Over 421 plate appearances, he recorded 13 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a slash line of .243/.299/.392.
Following his release, Tellez reflected on the situation and received numerous messages from former teammates about the team’s decision. While acknowledging the harsh realities of the business side of sports, he is focusing on the 2025 season.
“I ended up just going home and looking back on what could have been better for the year, and what could have been changed,” Tellez said. “What could I have done better? My teammates reached out to me, expressing their feelings about the action that happened. There’s not much you can do about it; it just sucks. Money’s money, but life will go on.”
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