San Francisco Giants DFA Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada

The Aaron Rowand Giants experiment ends.

San Francisco Giants’ veterans Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada were designated for assignment (DFA) Wednesday by the club, a possible last-ditch effort by the team to defend their 2010 World Series championship.

As of Wednesday the San Francisco Giants trailed the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West by a season-high six games, and are even further from the NL Wildcard race. The decision to DFA Rowand and Tejada may be to create space on the roster for better hitters who can help the club’s struggling offense.

"We're at a spot in the season where we have to do some damage control with the roster," Giants’ general manager Brian Sabean said. "A couple things played into it. In both cases, there was diminished playing time, diminished roles."

The decision also comes paralleled with news that the Giants have activated veteran outfielder Pat Burrell, and will purchase the contract of minor league prospect Brett Pill. At Triple-A Fresno, Pill hit 25 homers and drove in 107 runs.

Miguel Tejada's time with the SF Giants was brief.

As for Rowand and Tejada, the Giants have 10 days to trade or release the players, but must trade them by Thursday in order for them to be eligible for another team’s postseason roster. Tejada had been batting .239 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 91 games, while Rowand has batted .233 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in over 100 games.

Rowand is the team’s second-highest paid player behind fellow underachiever Barry Zito, and is set to make $12 million next season in the last year of his five-year, $60 million contract. Sabean said money wasn’t an issue in their decision to part ways with Rowand, however.

"Ownership was apprised throughout the process. That wasn't a problem," Sabean said. "He was given an opportunity. It just didn't turn out."

Tejada was in a smaller contract, just a one-year bit worth $6.5 million. Combined, the Giants will owe Tejada and Rowand more than $15 million.

Rowand had already cleaned out his locker by late Wednesday morning. "Nothing to comment on," he said as he left the clubhouse for the last time.

(Photos: Yahoo, Business Insider)