Pirates Pull Fast One On Brewers Fan-Favorite, Avoid Paying $200K Bonus

An old friend was done dirty by his current team

Aug 31, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rowdy Tellez (44) hits an RBI single during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

A much-loved face for the Milwaukee Brewers won't be receiving a hard-earned bonus due to the Pittsburgh Pirates designating him for assignment just before he would have reached a milestone.

Throughout each Major League Baseball season, there is plenty of roster turmoil and some moves can come across as head-scratchers. For a certain Pirates first baseman who was DFA'd amid a strong campaign, many wondered what the logic behind the transaction was -- until the terms of his contract were brought to light.

"Rowdy Tellez was due a $200k bonus at 425 plate appearances this year," Fox Sports' Ben Verlander reported Tuesday night. "The Pirates just DFA’d him. He was at 421 plate appearances. Did him dirty."

Tellez is hitting .243 with 31 extra-base hits including 13 home runs, 56 RBIs and a .691 OPS (91 OPS+) in 132 games this season.

Offering the 29-year-old an incentive in his contract and preventing him from reaching the milestone is a surefire way to upset a player who has committed to the franchise and possibly serve as a warning to any free agents interested in playing for the Pirates in the future.

While the argument could be made that Pittsburgh is out of contention for the postseason, Tellez was having a great season and likely only needed one-to-two more games at the major league level to receive his bonus.

It is worth noting that Tellez was hitting .116 in September, so it is not fair to fully jump to conclusions. However, with Pittsburgh's lack of postseason eligibility, the right move would have been to give him one more start, pay him out and then cut ties.

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