The Pittsburgh Pirates have let go of first baseman Rowdy Tellez with only six games remaining in the MLB regular season.

Usually, such a decision wouldn’t attract much attention. However, Tellez was only four plate appearances away from earning a significant $200,000 bonus, prompting fans to express their disappointment over his release.

Reasons Behind Tellez’s Release

While the exact reasons remain unclear, the primary motive seems to be financial.

With no chance left for postseason play, the Pirates saw little reason to keep Tellez on the 28-man roster, especially if his performance wasn’t beneficial.

While the team might suggest that Tellez’s underwhelming performance led to his release, his stats don’t support this narrative. Tellez ended the season with a .243 batting average, .299 on-base percentage, and .392 slugging percentage over 131 games, resulting in a .691 OPS and 91 OPS+. While those numbers are below average, they are not poor enough to warrant his dismissal. Notably, he ranks fourth on the team in home runs (13) and third in RBIs (56).

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington asserted that the potential bonus had “zero impact” on the decision to release Tellez.

“We believe we provided Rowdy ample opportunities this year,” Cherington shared with the media on Tuesday night. “He persevered through some tough moments early in the season and was able to find some success, but ultimately this is where we find ourselves in the season.”

Cherington further explained, “In previous eras with larger rosters, this conversation might never have happened. But with 28 roster spots, we need to ensure the 14 position players we carry are those likely to contribute beyond this season.”

Who Will Fill Tellez’s Spot on the Roster?

In addition to Tellez, who was let go, the Pirates also released outfielder Michael A. Taylor. To replace them, the team promoted infielder Liover Peguero and outfielder Josh Palacios from Triple-A Indianapolis. Peguero was a straightforward choice for promotion as he led all Pirates minor leaguers in hits (127), RBIs (79), and doubles (29), while also tying for second in extra-base hits (46).

Palacios’ promotion, however, raised some eyebrows. In 20 previous games with the Pirates this season, he posted a .230 batting average with two home runs and seven RBIs, suggesting he would likely mirror Tellez’s performance. Nevertheless, the Pirates may have needed additional outfield coverage after releasing Taylor.