The Pittsburgh Pirates Owner Found Yet Another Way To Disappoint

For the past few weeks, baseball has been focused on incredible pennant races, the Wild Card rounds, and now the upcoming Division Series. The last week of the season had so many storylines – beyond just the races. There was how far above 50/50 would Shohei Ohtani go (54/59 is the answer); or would Aaron Judge again hit 60 home runs (he fell just short with 58); or if Jose Ramirez could somehow muster a 40/40 season (he also fell short (39/41) because the Guardians last game was rained out).

Unfortunately, fans were also focused on the final days of Major League Baseball in Oakland, California. The ongoing saga of the A’s leaving their home for the past 57 seasons has been well-documented, culminating with the team’s final home game two Thursdays ago. The Oakland faithful sold out the Coliseum once last time to pay tribute to a team that they love, and to pay scorn to an owner that they hate.

Prior to the final game, A’s over John Fisher issued a “letter to the fans,” wherein he referred to them as “dedicated and passionate,” but did not recognize all of their efforts to support the team nor their attempts to keep the club in Oakland. In the letter he claimed that they did their “very best” to keep the team there, and it that it was painful for him as well. The letter was neither well-written nor well-received. Putting aside the obvious typo in the spelling of Loma Prieta, a fan base who has heard from the owner via two interviews over twenty years, was not convinced of the sincerity of his thoughts or wishes when he comically stated that he “wish[ed] [he] could speak to each of you individually.” For umpteenth day or month in a row, John Fisher took his rightful pole position as least liked owner in sports.

And then the Pittsburgh Pirates’ owner Bob Nutting elbowed his way through the queue and said, “hold my Yuengling.” The Pirates are a team held in such low regard that fans of other teams get excited when Pittsburgh has a young talent, as they know that in just a few years, that player will be available in a trade or as a free agent. Does any knowing fan truly believe that Paul Skenes will be pitching in black and gold when he turns thirty?

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And yet, the Pirates are a very likable team, who – for a moment this summer – made a little run that had the potential to lead to meaningful games in September. Alas, it was not meant to be, and the team faded with summer’s dying light, going 21-33 in August/September. However, there is a core group of players, led by what could become the best starting pitching staff in baseball (Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter), that brings hope for the future. Andrew McCutchen has passed along his wisdom to young players like Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Nick Gonzales. And the team has signed outfielder Bryan Reynolds long-term. The future may be bright in Western Pennsylvania – despite the owner.

But, the club’s ability to recruit players took yet another hit during the final week of the season when the team released fan-favorite Rowdy Tellez just four at bats shy of reaching 425 for the season, which would have netted him a $200,000 bonus. To be sure, Tellez has been no great shakes at the plate these past two seasons, hitting .215 in 2023 and .243 this year, with thirteen home runs during each campaign, and never achieving an OPS+ of 100 (league average). And yes, his -0.4 bWAR reflects that the “right” baseball move was to have someone play in his place. But FOUR plate appearances? Pirates general manager Ben Cherington claimed that the bonus had “zero factor” in the decision to release Tellez, rather, they wanted to give some minor leaguers an opportunity to get big league experience the final week of the season.

As far-fetched as “zero factor” may be, the rest of the front office can be taken at their word and this was still a raw deal. Keep Tellez for one more game, let him come to the plate four times, collect his check, and be on his way. Or keep him on the roster, give him one plate appearance every other day for the last week of the season, while the rookies take all the others, and he walks away $200,000 richer.

To be clear, no one should feel sorry for Rowdy Tellez, who has made more than $10 million in his career. But: (1) that is not Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper-type money where $200,000 is made by the seventh inning stretch EVERY game; (2) according to Forbes, the Pirates are worth $1.32 billion; so $200,000 should not put a dent in the organization’s finances; (3) what player will willingly or wantingly sign with an club that treats its players like that?; (4) the negative press probably cost them more than $200K in enterprise value, while the contrapositive – allowing Tellez to swing the bat four more times and giving him a $200,000 parting gift – would have bought them more than $200K in goodwill.

The Venn diagram of teams that repeatedly lose and those that are run poorly is nearly a full circle. And this decision cannot be hung around Cherington’s neck – it had to come from the owner’s box. Bob Nutting made his money in the newspaper industry (his grandfather started in the business in 1890). He was rich enough to buy a professional baseball team. That doesn’t mean he is smart enough to run one.

Had there been even a modicum of creativity and beneficence in the baseball offices abutting the Allegheny, the team could have had their cake and eaten it too. They could have told Tellez they were releasing him four plate appearances shy, but that they were going to give him $100,000 and donating another $100,000 to his favorite charity. With the write-off from the donation, they could have nearly off-set what they paid to the player. The could have done well by doing good, by standing by their player and giving back to their community. The team chose to do none of that.

John Fisher owes Bob Nutting a fruit basket for taking the A’s owner out the cross-hairs and out of the headlines for a few days. Major League Baseball, and the fans in Oakland and Pittsburgh, deserve better. Rowdy Tellez deserved better.

Small market teams who have owners who care can be competitive and win. Rather than hanging out with John Fisher, maybe Bob Nutting should spend some time in Kansas City with John Sherman or in Detroit with Christopher Ilitch, and learn how an investment in players, and a commitment to winning, can pay dividends well beyond a measly $200,000.