Despite the Pittsburgh Pirates being out of playoff contention, first baseman Rowdy Tellez was aiming to reach 425 plate appearances to earn a $200,000 bonus. He was just four plate appearances away from achieving this goal before the team decided to designate him for assignment prior to Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Even though Tellez’s chance at the bonus was cut short with five games remaining in the regular season, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington stated that the potential bonus did not factor into the decision to remove Tellez from the roster.
Tellez had been signed to a one-year, $3.2 million deal by the Pirates in the offseason. Throughout the 2024 season, he posted a .243/.299/.392 slash line with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 383 at-bats. While his numbers were an improvement from the previous year, they were lower than his peak in 2022 where he recorded career highs in several categories.
Although Tellez struggled at the start of the 2024 season, he showed improvement as time went on, leading up to a standout performance in July. The Pirates, who were once in the running for a playoff spot, saw their hopes dashed with a losing streak in August, resulting in their elimination from postseason contention and the subsequent designation of Tellez for assignment.
According to MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, players can earn bonuses through incentive clauses in their contracts, with plate appearances being a common benchmark for hitters. The Pirates suffered a 7-2 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday, bringing their overall record for the season to 73-84. Alongside Tellez, outfielder Michael A. Taylor was also designated for assignment.
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