Outfielder Preston Tucker is set to sign with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization, per an announcement from the Tigers (link via Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency). He’ll take a physical for them on Monday. Tucker had been with the White Sox’ Triple-A affiliate to begin the 2019 season but will seemingly be granted his release. With the Tigers, he’ll take the spot of another former MLB outfielder, Jeremy Hazelbaker, who is being released.
Tucker, 28, had two separate stints with the Braves in 2018 as well as one with the Reds, hitting a combined .229/.299/.404 with six homers and 11 doubles in 184 plate appearances. He was one of several unexpected contributors who helped to carry the Braves early in the season before the debut of Ronald Acuna last season, raking at a .288/.333/.538 clip through his first 18 games (and, like Hazelbaker with the ’16 Cardinals, serving as a reminder that April stats can be quite misleading). He posted just a .626 OPS from that point through season’s end, however.
Tucker has seen 651 plate appearances at the MLB level and has a rather meek .222/.281/.403 slash to show for his efforts, though he sports a much heftier .273/.341/.467 line in 1411 PAs across parts of six Triple-A seasons.
As for the 31-year-old Hazelbaker, he signed a one-year deal with the Tigers in the offseason but will see his stint there end after just 11 games and a .146/.239/.341 batting line through 46 plate appearances. Hazelbaker had a down year in a 2018 season he split between the Triple-A affiliates for the Twins and the Rays, but he’s a lifetime .259/.327/.436 hitter in parts of seven Triple-A campaigns.
Tucker definitely fits the profile of someone who could thrive overseas
I predicted that Jeremy Hazelbaker would do worse than Roger Bernadina, the guy he was trying to replace. I’m not sure if Tucker would do better than Bernadina would.
I’m curious to see who will take Preston Tucker’s roster spot at the White Sox AAA Charlotte affiliate? All of the organization’s OF’s at AA Birmingham have been struggling with their bats this season. CF Luis Robert might be a possibility but he was just promoted to AA in the past week or so. LF Eloy Jimenez likely won’t begin his minor league rehab assignment until some time next week. He is still working out and traveling with the White Sox as they visit Toronto this weekend.
With Tucker’s imminent release, the Charlotte roster would be down to just 3 OF’s unless Brandon Guyer is ready to come off of the IL.
@AaronSapoznik
Good question. Definitely won’t be Robert. He’s not exactly tearing it up in AA like he did at W-S. And at .230, he still possesses the best BA of any OF in Birmingham. Basabe just came back, Adolfo’s still injured, and Gonzalez and Rutherford’s been horrible so far in AA. Unless Guyer is coming back, most likely it will be another dumpster dive people will come on here and whine about the Sox being cheap again.
To the people who whine about these dumpster dives, this is Exhibit A as to why the Sox engage in these dumpster dives. They have to fill out the 25-man rosters in AAA and AA, and if the good prospects aren’t ready to advance to the next level yet, you have to stick someone in that spot. It’s not like there’s a bunch of MVP candidates just sitting out there waiting to sign a minor league deal. Therefore, the dumpster dives.
Dumpster dive they did, this time trading for Dodgers veteran OF Paolo Orlando who was a depth piece for LA at their AAA Oklahoma City affiliate. Orlando had played parts of 4 MLB seasons with the Royals from 2015-2018. Orlando was originally signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent back in 2005 before being dealt to the Royals in 2008.
Hazelbaker had one good year with the Cards. Hope he can find a job. If not life goes on