rowdy tellez

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates recently released first baseman Rowdy Tellez, just four plate appearances shy of earning a $200,000 bonus, as he was approaching the 425 plate appearances required for the incentive in his contract. Tellez, who was playing on a one-year, $3.2 million deal, ended his season with 421 plate appearances. This move has sparked speculation that the team may have made the decision to avoid paying the bonus.

However, Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington denied that the bonus played any role in the decision, emphasizing that it was made to give younger players like Liover Peguero and Joshua Palacios more playing time as the Pirates look toward the future. The Pirates had already been eliminated from postseason contention, and Cherington insisted that the timing of Tellez' release was coincidental and unrelated to the incentive clause.