Rowdy Tellez has punished the Boston Red Sox over the years. So maybe it’s time Boston gave him a locker of his own.
Tellez has batted .319 with five home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.001 OPS in 27 games at Fenway Park in his career, and he has 14 home runs, 29 RBIs and 27 runs scored in 46 games overall against the Red Sox. Now that Tellez has been designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners, Jay Pritchard of New England Sports Network suggests there is a fit with the Red Sox, who should consider parting with a low-level prospect before Tellez hits the open market.
It wouldn’t be a flashy, franchise-altering move, but it might be what the Red Sox need at first base in 2025.
Rowdy Tellez Has Mashed Against Boston in His Career
Just about anything would be an improvement. If there’s been a consistent sore spot for the Red Sox this year, it’s the revolving door at first.
Triston Casas was lost for the season in early May, and the replacement trio of Romy Gonzalez, Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard has been underwhelming. At –1.3, Boston’s Wins Above Average for first basemen is among the worst in the league this season.
Seems worth giving Tellez a look.
He’s 30 years old, he’s a free agent after the season, and he’s coming off a disappointing run in Seattle. But Tellez’s track record make the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder a logical, low-risk target for a team with postseason aspirations and a large hole at first base.
After signing a minor league deal with the Mariners about a week into spring training, Tellez earned a spot on the Opening Day roster but never found his rhythm at the plate. He slashed just .208/.249/.434 in limited time, and with Luke Raley returning from the IL, Seattle decided to cut bait.
“It became evident that Luke Raley was going to play more first base than we saw early on, and so … at that point you are crowded (at first base),” Mariners insider Shannon Drayer said on a Seattle sports radio show. “You don’t need two left-handed hitting first basemen.”
Rowdy Tellez Could Find ‘A Groove’ With Fenway Park At-Bats
But one team’s trash could be another team’s treasure.
Rowdy Tellez did mash 35 home runs for the Brewers in 2022, and he has a career .767 OPS against right-handed pitching. In a more hitter-friendly environment, and with regular ABs, there’s reason to believe that the production is still there. As MLB.com noted when he signed with Seattle, “it’s the bat that’s always been Tellez’s calling card.”
Because Tellez was DFA’d, the Red Sox could wait to see if he clears waivers and signs elsewhere. But with a small investment — like a Single-A reliever or international bonus money — they could jump the line and make sure the fit is on their terms.
“Boston wouldn’t need to give up much to land him,” Pritchard wrote. “If he clears waivers, Tellez can elect free agency, which would allow the Red Sox to add him without surrendering a prospect. And given his career numbers at Fenway, it’s not hard to imagine him finding a groove in a ballpark that suits his swing.”
And it’s worth noting that in five career playoff games, Tellez has an OPS of 1.091 with a pair of home runs.
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