Send Right-Handed Pitchers Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis to Toronto
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired first baseman Rowdy Tellez (teh-LEHZ) from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for right-handed pitchers Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis. The announcement was made by President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.
Tellez, 26, has played his entire Major League career with Toronto (2018-21), batting .241 with 37 HR and 99 RBI in 219 games. He hit .209 with 4 HR and 8 RBI in 50 games over two stints with the Blue Jays this season and .298 with 4 HR and 11 RBI in 13 games with Triple-A Buffalo. His 181 career starts have come at first base (105) or designated hitter (76).
Selected by Toronto in the 30th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, Tellez made his Major League debut with the Blue Jays in 2018, batting .314 with 4 HR and 14 RBI in 23 games. He posted career highs with 21 HR and 54 RBI in 2019, batting .227 in 111 games. In the shortened 2020 season, Tellez hit .283 with 8 HR and 23 RBI in 35 games.
Richards, 28, was acquired by Milwaukee in a trade with Tampa Bay on May 21. He is 3-0 with a 3.69 ERA and 1 save in 21 relief appearances between the Rays and Brewers this season, including 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA in 15 games with Milwaukee. Richards has gone 13-21 with a 4.34 ERA and 1 save in 85 career games (52 starts) with Miami (2018-19), Tampa Bay (2019-21) and Milwaukee (2021).
Francis, 25, was selected by the Brewers in the seventh round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. He went 22-23 with a 4.23 ERA in 69 career Minor League appearances (63 starts), including 7-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 11 starts between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville this season.
