LOS ANGELES -- Cole Tucker, the Pirates' opening day right fielder and the player who was at one time pegged as the shortstop of the future, has been designated for assignment.
In order to make room on the roster for infielder Yu Chang, who they acquired in a trade with the Guardians that was officially announced Monday morning, Tucker was the player who was taken off of the roster.
"Any time we make an acquisition, someone has to come off the roster," Derek Shelton said in the visitors dugout at Dodgers Stadium. "In this case, unfortunately it just became Cole’s time. They’re challenging decisions, and they’re even more challenging when you’re talking about how good of a human being he is. But we have to make those decisions when we acquire people."
Unless Tucker clears waivers and is outrighted to Class AAA Indianapolis, this brings to a close years of offensive frustration at the major-league level with the Pirates.
The 2022 season had a make-or-break feel for Tucker, and he struggled out of the gate, hitting .175 with no walks, no homers, two RBIs and a .397 OPS before being optioned to the minors on May 12.
This season is Tucker's last year where he has minor-league options. He slashed .135/.238/.162 in his 10 games in Indianapolis.
In 154 career games in the majors, spanning parts of four seasons, Tucker has hit .211 with five home runs, 35 RBIs, four stolen bases and a .573 OPS.
A first-round pick in 2014, Tucker steadily rose through the farm system, mostly on the merit of his good glove and his ability to steal bases. While scouts and prospect experts believed he could grow into a hitter as well, his results at the plate were often average in the minors.
Once he reached the majors, his tenure was defined mostly by different experiments from the team to try to get the most out of him. In 2020, it was an outfield experiment to try to get him into the lineup more. In 2021, various swing experiments to try to put his body in a good, consistent position. In 2022, he abandoned switch-hitting mid-season, hoping it would lead to more consistent results. In the end, it did not yield a player the Pirates wanted to keep on the roster.
Shelton's conversation with Tucker Monday morning was focused around Tucker as a person. His engaging and friendly personality had made him one of the more recognizable faces of the franchise the past few years.
"He was very thankful of the opportunity he got here," Shelton said. "He was extremely professional, seeing what is holding for him next. It was a good conversation."
To make room on the major-league roster for Chang, the Pirates have optioned utilityman Hoy Park to Indianapolis.
