In December of 2023, Ethan Hullihen—a Pittsburgh Pirates contract guru—quietly posted to social media the specifics of an settlement between the staff and first baseman Rowdy Tellez. The contract’s incentive construction, per Hullihen, included a $200,000 incentive if Tellez reached 425 plate appearances in 2024.
That piece of Tellez’s contract turned information throughout the baseball world Tuesday afternoon, when the Pirates designated Tellez for task… 4 plate appearances shy of the 425 mark.
In 421 plate appearances this season, Tellez slashed .243/.299/.392 this season with 13 dwelling runs and 56 RBIs. The 29-year-old overcame a nightmarish begin to make his numbers look respectable; he hit .198 in March and April and .143 in Could.
In the meantime, Pittsburgh’s fortunes operated in reverse. After spending a lot of the season within the playoff hunt, the Pirates light late and at the moment sit in final place within the Nationwide League Central division—16 video games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.
Tellez performed for these Brewers from 2021 to ’23, clubbing 35 dwelling runs in 2022.