The Pittsburgh Pirates, already out of playoff contention, made some roster changes for the season’s final week.
They called up Liover Peguero and Josh Palacios from Triple-A while designating Michael A. Taylor and Rowdy Tellez for assignment. This move is typical for teams looking to give younger players a chance when veterans haven’t performed well. Interestingly, Tellez was cut just four plate appearances short of earning a $200,000 bonus.
GM Ben Cherington claimed the bonus had no impact on their decision: “We feel like we gave Rowdy lots of opportunity here this year,” he said. “To his credit, he fought through some difficult times earlier in the year and fought his way out of it. Had periods of success and periods of frustration. This is just where we got to in the season.”
Roster Moves:
Tellez hit .243/.299/.392 with 13 home runs this season but struggled in September, going 5-for-43 (.116). The team could have released him weeks ago based on performance alone. However, letting him go so close to a bonus might not sit well with agents and other players who pay attention to such moves.
Fans might think this decision shows how business-oriented sports can be.
Taylor’s stats were also underwhelming at .193/.253/.290 with five home runs. It’s unclear if he was near any bonuses himself. Tellez needed just four more plate appearances to earn his $200,000 bonus but ended the season with 421.
At 73-84, the Pirates have secured their sixth losing season in a row and haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2015. FanGraphs estimates their payroll for next year at $83 million, one of the lowest in baseball.
What do you think about these moves?
