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Bucs sign
ex-Brewers 1B
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement with free agent first baseman Rowdy Tellez on a new one year deal that was announced on Monday.
It is worth $3.2 million and he can earn up to $800,000 with performance bonuses.
Tellez has spent the past two and a half seasons in the NL Central as a member of the Brewers. He connected on 35 home runs for the Brew Crew as recently as 2022.
His power numbers evaporated last season, as he slumped to 13 longballs through 351 trips to the plate. His slugging percentage fell from .461 to a middling .376 mark.
Overall, the left-handed hitter turned in a .215/.291/.376 line in 106 contests this year. That's clearly insufficient for a player whose profile is built around the bat.
Pirates lose
Rodriguez
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez will miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right elbow.
The team announced Rodriguez had surgery Tuesday after he was injured taking a swing while playing in the Dominican Republic. The estimated recovery time is 10-12 months.
The 23-year-old Rodriguez is considered a major part of the Pirates' future after making his major league debut in July. He hit .220 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 57 games.
Rodriguez is a work in progress as a receiver but did throw out nine of 30 potential base stealers.
The Pirates had expected Rodriguez to take on the bulk of the catching load in 2024. Now, they'll likely turn to former top overall draft pick Henry Davis, Jason Delay and perhaps recently signed Ali Sanchez behind the plate.
Davis spent most of his 2023 rookie season playing right field. Sanchez signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh on Dec. 1.
The Associated Press