Pirates manager literally puts Rowdy Tellez on DFA watch, finally

For the Pittsburgh Pirates to have seriously competed for a postseason spot in 2024, they'd have to have improved their offense in a big way over the offseason. The Pirates ranked 22nd in the majors last season in runs scored, 22nd in OPS, and 28th in home runs.

The Pirates wound up doing very little in free agency to bolster their offense and are paying the price for it. They're currently 23rd in runs scored, 27th in OPS, and 20th in home runs. That kind of offensive production supporting what is looking like a really strong starting rotation is such a disappointment.

Part of why Pittsburgh has struggled is their desire to stick with players who simply aren't producing. Players like Jack Suwinski and Jared Triolo have struggled mightily yet they play just about every day. The worst case of this, however, is Rowdy Tellez continuing to see regular at-bats. Thankfully, manager Derek Shelton appeared to put the first baseman on DFA watch.

Rowdy Tellez's job security finally appears to be on thin ice

When asked about Rowdy Tellez, Shelton could not be any clearer. He "has to be better. That's just what it comes down to."

Crystal clear.

Shelton is right. Tellez has been an utter disaster since signing a one-year deal worth $4 million to join Pittsburgh over the offseason. He entered Thursday's action slashing .181/.250/.233 with just one home run and after going hitless in four at-bats in Thursday's frustrating loss, he is now hitting .175 on the year.

Tellez is a poor defender at first base so if he is not hitting, he's not giving any value to the Pirates. The fact that he entered Thursday's game with -0.5 bWAR proves just that. First base is supposed to be an offensive position and Pittsburgh ranks 22nd with an 87 WRC+ among their first basemen. That's with Connor Joe putting up really strong numbers when he starts at first.

Buying low on Rowdy Tellez was uninspiring at best, but at least he did have a bit of a track record. He hit 35 home runs just two seasons ago with the Milwaukee Brewers before having a brutal 2023 campaign. The potential was there for Tellez to maybe rediscover his power stroke, but we're almost two months into the season and he has one home run.

It has been time for the Pirates to at the very least bench him if they won't simply DFA him. Hopefully this message sent by Shelton after the game means that his job security is hanging by a thread. The Pirates don't have much to work with, but it can't get much worse than what Tellez has been.