Seattle Mariners Sign Veteran Utility Player to Minor League Contract
The Seattle Mariners have signed veteran utility player Cole Tucker to a minor league contract ahead of spring training. Tucker previously played at the major league level for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
Cole Tucker signs a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners with a major league invite in spring training
Tucker has appeared in parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Pirates and Rockies, though his playing time has been sparse lately. He appeared in just 18 games for Pittsburgh in 2022 and five in 2023 with Colorado. Lifetime, he's a .216 hitter with five home runs.
It seems unlikely that he'll make the Mariners out of spring training and will probably be considered organizational depth. Right now, the M's have Luis Urias, Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore as middle infield options, and J.P. Crawford is firmly entrenched at shortstop. Tucker can also play the outfield but Seattle boasts a bevy of outfielders including Julio Rodriguez, Mitch Haniger, Luke Raley, Dom Canzone and Taylor Trammell.
Seattle is coming off a season in which it went 88-74 and finished third in the American League West. They failed to make the playoffs after doing so in 2022 and will have a tough road ahead in the deeply competitive division, which features the World Champion Texas Rangers and the always good Houston Astros, who made the ALCS last season.
Tucker is married to the American actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens and has been since 2023.
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