Rowdy Tellez is a Major League Baseball Player That You Should Be Rooting For
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I'll be honest: Whether it's here on the written side or on the audio side with the "Refuse to Lose" podcast, I'm often inspired by Mariners-related content that I see on social media.
Fans and listeners do a great job at bringing up topics and talking points, and I think it's worthwhile to crowd source what fans find interesting and relevant.
I do the same thing with other Mariners-related media members, several of which are my professional friends and others who I'd like to talk to in the future.
This week, I was inspired by an interaction I had with Nathan Bishop of the Light Bat Newsletter. He's someone we've had on our podcast before and I greatly respect his content.
In the name of transparency, I'll share our interaction, in which Nathan essentially mocked the Mariners for being in a position where Rowdy Tellez's roster status is a talking point. Furthermore, Nathan seemed to imply that Tellez is not a major league player, at least not on a good team.
I understand being upset the team didn’t get Bregman or Alonso, of course, but let’s not act like Rowdy Tellez is not deserving of a major league roster spot. https://t.co/YsEl12qIWL
— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) March 18, 2025
He hit 35 homers in 2022, he's got 5/7 seasons with double-digit home runs. If you're telling me that a player like that has no place on a major league roster, then lets just have all league minimum players and a handful of $500m guys and lets go home.
— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) March 18, 2025
I disagree with Nathan's take, and I'd welcome him back on the podcast any time to discuss this and other Mariners news.
Firstly, I understand the hesitance to embrace a Rowdy Tellez signing. Everyone knows this team would have been better off signing Pete Alonso or Alex Bregman this offseason. That's not the debate. But don't let the fact that "he's not Pete Alonso" cloud your opinion of Tellez, who can be a useful player for this team.
He hit 35 homers just two seasons ago, has been to the playoffs multiple times, has a winning pedigree and can open up some flexibility for the roster by allowing Luke Raley to play places other than first base.
Second off, in addition to him being a Mariner, you should be rooting for Tellez to succeed because it's good for baseball. Baseball rosters have become too much of "really highly-paid guys" and "basically no one making any money." The league has lost and devalued the missing middle, and Tellez is a part of that. He's a major league baseball player. He's not a star, but he's a major league baseball player. And those players deserve roster spots, roles and real money.
If you're not rooting for Rowdy Tellez, you are just doing exactly what the owners want: Asking for your roster to be built up with 2-3 superstars and a bunch of prospects and Quad-A players.
You can hear my full thoughts as part of the most recent Refuse to Lose podcast:
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