The Pittsburgh Pirates have already secured their sixth consecutive losing season and 28th in the past 34 years dating back to the start of the 1990 season. There are a lot of issues with the organization that have produced that run of futility.
Bad player development. Bad player evaluation. Bad managing. Bad general managers. Just a lot of bad stuff.
All of those areas fall under the same umbrella that is the true issue with the franchise — bad, penny-pinching ownership. That was on display again on Tuesday afternoon.
Just before the Pirates opened their final homestand of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers, the team announced that first baseman Rowdy Tellez and outfielder Michael A. Taylor had been designated for assignment. The timing of the moves was bizarre, mainly because there are only six games remaining in the season and both players had been semi-regulars all year.
In the case of Tellez, it is especially suspicious because he was reportedly just four plate appearances away from a $200,000 bonus.
