Sep 3, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first base Rowdy Tellez (44) gestures after hitting a one-run single against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
By Sam Neumann on

No organization in professional sports drapes itself in embarrassment after receiving the slightest ounce of goodwill quite like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates have been blessed with Paul Skenes, the best pitcher in baseball. Sure, we can debate the merits of that one, but if he isn’t better than Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler, Chris Sale, or Garrett Crochet, he will be soon.

But this isn’t about Skenes — this is about the Pirates operating as a bargain bin franchise that has no problems screwing over its own players. Pittsburgh elected to release its first baseman and fan-favorite, Rowdy Tellez, who was four plate appearances away from a $200K bonus.

He was at 421 plate appearances; he needed 425.

Good luck attracting any external free agents of note after this.

On The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan didn’t pull any punches back when discussing the Pirates’ handling of Tellez’s situation, offering a broader critique of the organization’s management philosophy:

“It’s not always the Pirates, Pat. This sort of thing does happen; it’s not frequent, but let’s go back to spring training this year when J.D. Davis, who had beaten the San Francisco Giants in Arbitration, which is how you determine your salary, was supposed to get a $6.9 million salary for the Giants,” says Passan. “They got out and sign Matt Chapman and they cut J.D. Davis. And because he won that salary in arbitration, was only guaranteed $1.1 million. So, $200K compared to the $5.8 million that J.D. Davis was a little different.

“But I think the important point here is not to focus on how the Pirates screwed Rowdy Tellez out of $200K; it’s to look at the Pirates and look at Bob Nutting and to ask, why is Rowdy Tellez your first baseman in the first place? Why aren’t you going out and getting better players? Why don’t you sign Christian Walker or Pete Alonso or someone this winter to go and be a part of the core of that lineup long-term? Are you always playing for the short term with little money? Why do you have an $86 million payroll to open the season when the rest of the sport — at the top — has $300 million-plus?

“How do you continue to exist as a Major League Baseball owner who theoretically wants to win a championship and do so pinching pennies? This is what happens. This, Pat, is the consequence of ownership that does not treat things seriously.”

Passan wasn’t finished.

“I feel bad for (general manager) Ben Cherrington and for everybody else that’s trying to run this organization and win when there’s simply not the money there to go out and do it,” Passan continued. “And it puts you in a position to make moves like this where, frankly, Rowdy Tellez should’ve been gone from this lineup months ago, but the Pirates didn’t want to go out and spend any money…”

As Passan alluded to, the Rowdy Tellez situation is just another example of the Pirates shooting themselves in the foot.

Even with a potential superstar like Skenes, the team can’t seem to get out of its own way. Moves like this make it clear that as long as ownership remains committed to cutting corners, the Pirates will struggle to be taken seriously.

Fans deserve better, and until the franchise starts investing in both talent and integrity, Pittsburgh will continue to be known more for its owner’s blunders than its baseball.

[Jeff Passan]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann