Pittsburgh Pirates Sign Former Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers Slugger Rowdy Tellez
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a one-year contract with free agent first baseman Rowdy Tellez, FanSided's Robert Murray reported Tuesday night.
The deal is still pending a physical, per Murray. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Tellez will be due $3.2 million in guaranteed money, but there is $800K available in performance bonuses.
Tellez hit .215 with 13 home runs, 47 RBI, a .667 OPS and a -0.6 WAR in 105 games as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023. The slugger also notably took the mound to wrap up a blowout in September, getting the final three outs Milwaukee needed to punch its ticket to the postseason.
The Brewers initially acquired Tellez as part of a midseason trade with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. Between his three-plus seasons in Toronto and his two-plus seasons in Milwaukee, Tellez is a .233 career hitter with 92 home runs, 263 RBI and a .750 OPS in 533 games.
Tellez topped out with 38 home runs with the Brewers in 2022, with his second-most coming when he hit 21 with the Blue Jays in 2019.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound first baseman will turn 29 years old prior to Opening Day 2024.
Connor Joe, Alfonso Rivas and Jared Triolo split time at first base for the Pirates down the stretch, once they had already traded veteran Carlos Santana to the Brewers. Santana essentially took over Tellez's spot in Milwaukee's lineup when the latter hit the injured list with right forearm inflammation in July.
The Brewers did not include Tellez on their postseason roster in October, and they non-tendered him in November.
Tellez is now projected to be the Pirates' starting first baseman in 2024, according to Fangraphs.
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