With the Pittsburgh Pirates out of the playoffs, first baseman Rowdy Tellez was playing for a probability to earn a $200,000 bonus based on his plate appearances. As of Tuesday, he had made 421 plate appearances, 4 away from earning that extra bonus.
For Tellez, the chance was lost. With five games left within the regular season, the Pirates assigned Tellez to the sport ahead of their game on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. With MLB in the ultimate week of its regular season, Tellez will likely finish his 2024 season with 421 batting appearances, 4 wanting the 425 he must earn an extra $200,000.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington told reporters that the potential for a $200,000 bonus had no influence on his decision to remove Tellez from the roster.
“We feel like we've given Rowdy a lot of chances here this year,” Cherington said Tuesday.
The Pirates signed Tellez to a one-year, $3.2 million contract within the offseason. In 383 at-bats in 2024, Tellez posted a batting average of .243/.299/.392 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs. While his overall numbers represent an improvement from last yr (.215/.291/.376 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs in 2023), it's a decline from 2022, when he set profession highs in home runs (35), RBIs (89) and hits (116).
Tellez struggled initially of the 2024 season, hitting only one home run through May, but he got higher because the season went on, culminating on July 5, when he hit a house run and a grand slam en path to a 14-2 victory over the New York Mets that ran out of fireworks for Pittsburgh.
The Pirates were buyers on the trade deadline and started August within the hunt for a playoff spot. But a 10-game losing streak to begin the month effectively ended the Pirates' playoff hopes. The Pirates were eliminated from the playoff race on September 16. Eight days later, Tellez was DFA'd by the team.
According to the CBA, MLB players are entitled to bonuses through the inducement clause of their contracts. The MLB's basic contract prohibits incentives based on statistical performance. This signifies that players can earn more money by meeting predetermined, non-statistical benchmarks. For hitters, batting appearances are essentially the most common incentive. Even those that remain on the lively roster for a certain variety of days can receive a bonus, depending on their contract.
The Pirates lost 7-2 to the Brewers on Tuesday and fell to 73-84 in 2024. In addition to Tellez, the Pirates have also designated for project outfielder Michael A. Taylor.
image credit : www.nytimes.com