Phoenix's Cole Tucker turns page on pro baseball career, hopes for return to big leagues

Cole Tucker tried hard to put it all together and solidify his place in the lineup with the Pittsburgh Pirates for three-plus seasons. It just never worked out, and on May 30, three words a Major League Baseball player rarely wants to see were attached to his name in a transaction: designated for assignment.

Given that Tucker was without a team for almost a week and had returned home to the Phoenix area to see his parents, things couldn't have worked out much better. Tucker's hometown Arizona Diamondbacks claimed the 25-year-old utility player off waivers on June 5, and he was off to Triple-A Reno on a quest to get back to the big leagues.

The designation hurt, but Tucker isn't one to dwell on the negative for long.

"I was kind of confident that I would land somewhere. You know, when you're in the fire, and it's time to really find out you're a human," Tucker said by phone last week. "But you know, I'm confident in who I am as a player and who I am as a person.  I was hopeful that I'd get picked up somewhere, and just really happy it was with the D-Backs."

Tucker was a first-round draft pick, 24th overall, of the Pirates as a shortstop in 2014, out of Ahwatukee's Mountain Pointe High School. He made his major league debut in 2019 and hit the second home run of his MLB at Chase Field on May 14, 2019, a night he will always remember with family and friends in attendance watching Tucker in his first major league game at the ball park where he attended many games as a kid.

Tucker was as giddy about the experience during the game as he was after it, saying he'd always dreamed about winning games at Chase Field. Now, he's one call away from that opportunity again.

"That's what's kind of waking me up and driving me every day," Tucker said. "Just trying to put one foot in front of the other right now and take care of my business, and keep playing well and just letting it shake out how it does."

A prized possession of Tucker's is a photo of him with the large group of family and friends who came to the stadium to watch him play that night in the background.

"I'll never forget it and it felt like everyone that I ever played baseball with or knew from growing up or coached me or taught me was there at the game," Tucker said.

Geraldo Perdomo is the Diamondbacks' everyday shortstop with Nick Ahmed's season over following recent surgery. In Tucker the Diamondbacks have bolstered their minor league infield depth with big-league experience, and he has played shortstop for Reno. Tucker played a lot of outfield with the Pirates this season.

In 154 career major league games and 436 at-bats, he has a career .211 batting average.

"We had a need there with Nick being injured and we had (Wilmer) Difo who was injured at the time in Triple-A," Diamondbacks director of player development Josh Barfield said. "There's some upside with him (Tucker). He's always been a talented player and got to the big leagues quickly. I know there's some things that he's had to work on and struggled with up and down in the big leagues but there's still a lot of talent there, trying to tap into that."

Tucker's outlook on baseball and life is consistently upbeat, which didn't go unnoticed by former Aces teammate and current Diamondback Buddy Kennedy.

"He's a really good guy. Likes to chill and be one of the guys," Kennedy said. "He just brings good vibes, good positive energy to the team. He meshed with us instantly."

It's the attitude and gratitude for Tucker, who is open to feedback on his swing, and whom the Diamondbacks have followed since his teenage years. Barfield said Tucker arrived at Reno and got to work right away, and that Tucker has a good awareness of the areas in which he needs improvement to get back to the majors.

'I love baseball and I love people and I'm just really thankful for how my life has gone, and I just tried to try to enjoy it every day and spread that energy with people," Tucker said. "So I'm not trying to run for president or do anything crazy, but I love my teammates and I love being around the guys and just being around people and trying to make the most out of this thing. But yeah, I always find a way to be in the middle of things, I don't know why."

There's no hard feelings or ill will toward the Pirates for moving on from Tucker. Through Sunday, he was hitting .276 (16 for 58) in 16 games with Reno.

"I feel like I experienced so many emotions with the Pirates. I was a 17-year-old high school senior and I got drafted by them, and I got to the big leagues with them, and I had success with them," Tucker said. "So many great people there, I'm really humbled for all of it, appreciative of all of it. It's easy to say 'I hate those people' but that's not the kind of guy I am. I'm so appreciative for all they've done for me, every paycheck I've ever gotten ... But you know, I'm just kind on to the next thing now and excited to make the most of this opportunity, and excited to be close to the home."

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: From Pirates to hometown Diamondbacks, Tucker working hard in Triple-A