The Mariners have signed utiltyman Cole Tucker to a minor league deal, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (X link). The contract contains an invitation to Seattle’s big league Spring Training camp.
Tucker also signed a minors deal with the Rockies last winter, though it didn’t lead to much time in the majors. His contract wasn’t selected to the active roster until August, and Tucker appeared in only five MLB games amidst twice being designated for assignment and then outrighted off the 40-man roster. At season’s end, Tucker had the ability to elect minor league free agency and hit the open market once more.
Picked 24th overall in the 2014 draft, Tucker showed flashes of that high draft pedigree during his time in the Pirates’ farm system, but he has a modest .250/.350/.382 slash line over 1107 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level. The Pirates gave him multiple looks in the majors, but Tucker has struggled to a .216/.266/.318 slash over 479 PA against MLB pitching. Pittsburgh DFA’ed Tucker during the 2022 season and he was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks, though the Phoenix native didn’t receive any time at the big league level with his hometown team.
Tucker was drafted as a shortstop but has moved into more of a multi-positional role in an effort to increase his value of catching onto another big league roster. Between this positional versatility and a switch-hitting approach, Tucker fits the profile of a useful bench piece if he can get any consistency going at the plate. The Mariners have Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore, and Sam Haggerty already lined up for roster spots, so while Tucker may face an uphill battle in winning a job in Spring Training, he could be a good depth piece for Triple-A if he agrees to remain in Seattle’s organization.
Nice depth signing. Talented player
Is that you Vanessa?
Hey! Here comes this year’s version of Colten Wong…….at a fraction of the price! Proof that mediocrity does still exist at a commensurate price.
2023 Kolten Wong level of performance would be streets ahead of what Cole Tucker could ever do.
No way.
Cole Tucker has already put together better mlb seasons than Kolten Wong did in 2023. Wong hit .183 with 4 HRs for Pete sake.
“Don’t you wish his name was Kyle like me”
– Kyle Tucker
“Yes, I hate my family”
-Preston Tucker
That 0.999 OPS last year at AAA would be really good for a minor league signing and an invite to MLB Spring Training.
The Mariners are really right where they need to be, and so we see nothing but little tinkering actions.
Counting the days now.
Go Mariners!
Their offense is behind where it was last season. Minus the strikeouts. Looking forward to about 40 Felix’s this year…
Great pitching. No hitting.
#profitsoverpennants
He never got a fair shake in pittsburgh
That’s nonsense, he was given ample opportunities to show his talent, and he failed miserably
He never really hit in the minors either
Yeah, I actually think they gave him a number of chances and in different positions
It did not seem to me that he had ML ability and that is probably one of the reasons that the Pirates moved him around to different positions.
It may have been better to just let him play shortstop where he was comfortable and reasonably good at playing.
Yeah, but as TheMan3 said, no matter where you put him he really struggled at the plate. He’s another guy whom you have to point at the scouting department and wonder what they were thinking
Good kid. Tried hard and made no bones about the fact that he just didn’t cut it here
Another one the Pirates failed first round draft picks
But in defense of Tucker, their player development has been mediocre for years
He got more auditions than his future wife ever has. He wasn’t good enough.
Future wife? He’s married though
Oh, my bad. Congrats to them.
he wasn’t married when the Bucs were giving him chances
Then why isn’t he good enough to stay anywhere else?
He was not a very good player, and couldn’t hit well in the minors either. How much longer did you want to see him play?
I wish they left him a shortstop and didn’t start moving him all over the place. Not saying that was the difference between Tucker becoming a Major League regular and minor league depth, but couldn’t hvae hurt to let him figure out how to hit MLB pitching before moving him to the outfield.
Ootp god I swear he comes like a bat out of hell in a lot of my saves. It’s been a crazy journey. Wish him the best.
The Mariners just sign a guy that hit .500 last year and the fans still aren’t happy…
2 for 4 is hardly a reason for celebration considering he’s a lifetime .210 hitter
4 for 8. But was meant as both sarcasm and a satirical take on fans never being happy no matter what
Vanessa is probably a better player than Cole Tucker
Sometimes a player can come out of hibernation, and sometimes a players dream is larger then he is capable, Maybe he can fine some middle ground that may seem a victory to him.
The cost saving mariners could look to dump Dylan moore. San Haggerty, Urias in the next year and save dollars/flexibility by trying this fella.