Jared Triolo's comments on breaking out of slump magnify Pirates' Rowdy Tellez decision

The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped a 7-2 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, but one bright spot – if you can call it that – was a three-hit performance by third baseman Jared Triolo.

Triolo went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the loss for his fifth multi-hit game during the month of September. The 26-year-old has been hitting at an impressive clip ever since taking over everyday third base duties for the injured Ke'Bryan Hayes in mid-August, hitting .277 with seven extra-base hits across 112 at-bats. He also has four home runs and three stolen bases over 35 games in that span.

Triolo has struggled at times this season, as indicated by his season slash line of .221/.304/.316, but he has enjoyed a resurgence over the last month. When asked by reporters about his late-season success following Tuesday's game, Triolo mentioned having more consistent at-bats and making adjustments to his swing as contributing factors; but he was also quick to credit his now-former locker mate in the Pirates' clubhouse for providing an example of how to overcome offensive struggles.

"You watched Rowdy [Tellez] go through it at the beginning of the year and seeing how he went about it, believe it or not, helped pave the way," Triolo said (via Kevin Gorman of TribLive). "It was cool to see that and how he carried himself.”

Triolo's comments loomed large, as the Pirates had designated Tellez for assignment just hours before Tuesday's game, cutting ties with the veteran first baseman when he was just four plate appearances shy of qualifying for a $200,000 performance bonus.

Jared Triolo's comments on breaking out of slump magnifies Pirates' Rowdy Tellez decision

Tellez did, as Triolo said, "go through it" at the beginning of the season. However, despite batting .177 with one home run, eight RBI and a .463 OPS through the end of May, Tellez was able to overcome his horrendous start to the year. Following a scorching hot June, July and August, Tellez finished the season slashing .243/.299/.392 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 56 RBI through 132 games.

The clear impact that Tellez's DFA has had on the morale of the Pirates' clubhouse is yet another indication of how tone deaf the front office's decision was to let him go with just six games remaining in the season. Still, Triolo's late-season success serves as a tribute to the lasting impression that Tellez made on his teammates during his season in Pittsburgh.

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