The Pittsburgh Pirates are having one of their toughest moments as the 2024 season winds down. With only six games left, they surprised the baseball world by designating First Baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment. There are too many questions about the team’s strategy moving into the offseason.
A Tough Second Half
The Pirates had a promising start, but sadly in the second half of the season, they have miserably failed. Currently, they are standing at 73-84, with an abysmal record of 25-36 since the All-Star break. The fall in such a way has placed the team in a very tight spot, especially about next season. Falling to division rivals like the Milwaukee Brewers only adds to their disappointment.
The timing of sending Tellez down is rather unorthodox, just before the end of the season. He was just four at-bats from reaching a $200,000 bonus. Even without them, fans and analysts are already speculating over ulterior motives. When an otherwise frugal baseball franchise cuts loose a player who is just inches away from reaching his financial goal, eyebrows go up.
Building Talent From Obscurity
Instead of calling up a possible future All-Star to take Tellez’s roster spot, the Pirates promoted Liover Peguero and Joshua Palacios. Neither of those players ranks anywhere close to the top of the farm system, already one of the worst in the league. It’s not much comfort for optimism moving forward.
General Manager Ben Cherington, however, claimed the bonus was unrelated to Tellez’s release, but at the very least, such a move cannot help but create terrible optics around it. Such moves will tear apart the team’s reputation and happen at the worst possible time when free agents are looking for their next team. The people who are watching this are the players, and such a way of treating Tellez may be heartbreaking for incoming signings.
The Future
Tellez had improved this year, despite having a miserable September. He was not having a terrible year overall, making this move more confusing. Their offense will need to improve to compete further, given guys like Paul Skenes and Jared Jones still developing as young arms.
The Pirates need to replace their offensive talent for the coming offseason to support their pitching staff. However, this treatment of Tellez might not be as helpful in the future because free agents would like good value and security from the organization for the role that they are to take on. They may have received long-term impacts from this, which may last long into the future.
Conclusion
The Pirates are at a crossroads because it is approaching the offseason. It is a very dangerous cut if they cut Rowdy Tellez, which will peg them against free agency and player trades. They can learn from these decisions and create a better environment for the players who are currently on the team and those in the future, thereby hoping to compete effectively.
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