Pirates A to Z: Despite 'outfield experiment,' Cole Tucker still viewed as an infielder

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Nik Turley.

Cole Tucker

Positions: Shortstop/Outfielder

Bats/Throws: Both/Right

Age: 24

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 205 pounds

2020 MLB statistics: Batted .220/.252/.275 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBIs in 37 games.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Drafted by the Pirates in the first round in 2014.

This past season: In mid-July, Tucker started what he called the “outfield experiment,” where the shortstop ventured into the outfield for the first time in his baseball career.

It was an idea borne out of necessity, as the Pirates were short on outfielders after Gregory Polanco tested positive for covid-19 during summer camp. It was an opportunity for Tucker, who was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in spring training, to stay in the majors.

Much like his major-league debut a year earlier was a smashing success, Tucker looked like a natural in center field in his first game when he made a spectacular sliding catch at the wall at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Cole Tucker played in the outfield last night, and made a great sliding catch near the wall, in Cleveland. He discussed how him playing OF came about! -RI pic.twitter.com/mr2befXJkh

— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) July 21, 2020

But the position switch was a challenge for Tucker, who played 32 games in the outfield and even one at second base but no so much as an inning at shortstop. Tucker still viewed himself as a shortstop and took infield practice on his days off, but displayed a positive attitude.

“Wherever they throw me,” Tucker said, “I’m just trying to gather as much as I can and make the most of where I am.”

The Pirates believe Tucker has the ability to rob homers in center, but he first had to learn how to play the position. Tucker tried to be a sponge in learning from first base/outfield coach Tarrik Brock and veteran center fielder Jarrod Dyson, but never quite carved out a role. Tucker started 20 games in center and 12 in right, which forced him to learn the nuances of playing the ball off the North Side Notch in center and the Clemente Wall in right at PNC Park.

“You don’t have the comfort of, like, sticking in one spot and doing it every day but that’s the challenge of it and it’s cool,” Tucker said. “I feel like it’s something I’ve done and done well, is adjusting. PNC, especially, the right field is close and it’s big and you don’t know how it’s going to bounce off the plastic part of (the wall) or the fencing part of it. That’s just unpredictable. In center, you have that deep left-center with that cut in the bullpen. It’s just kind of a tricky setup and there’s a lot of space to cover but I feel like I’ve covered that well, too.

“It’s learning your surroundings, just like going to St. Louis and learning the wall there, going to Cincinnati and learning the wall there. It’s just constantly an unknown. The only way of knowing it and getting used to it is by getting out there.”

Cole Tucker. Center fielder. pic.twitter.com/iW8xTu6xDq

— Pirates Analytics (@piRatesanalysis) August 27, 2020

While Tucker was learning his surroundings, he was bouncing around the batting order. He hit anywhere from leadoff to ninth, and his on-base percentage (.252) suffered as a result of his 31 strikeouts and five walks. Yet Tucker had the highest batting average of any of outfield regulars, 31 points higher than Bryan Reynolds (.189), 63 points higher than Dyson (.157) and 67 points higher than Polanco (.153). The day after the Pirates were no-hit by Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox, Tucker hit a leadoff single off former Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. Tucker also hit his lone homer from the leadoff spot Aug. 3 at Minnesota.

? FIRST PITCH SWINGIN'!@cotuck with a blast to lead it off.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/HmqpXvv5yB

— Pirates (@Pirates) August 4, 2020

“I feel like I’ve been challenged to learn a new position, which has been great and it’s been fun,” Tucker said. “Offensively, I feel like I’ve had good at-bats. I haven’t been driving the ball as much as I’d like to at all but that’s something that we’re working on every day and just trying to get better as we finish out the last however many games we’ve got. I’m just trying to put my foot on the gas and have good at-bats and start driving the ball.”

How will Tucker do that?

“If you have the answer,” Tucker said, “give me a call.”

Whether in the field or at the plate, Tucker believes it’s all about timing. He treated the 60-game season as an open audition for a starting job, even though he was well aware that he wasn’t going to win one.

“You want to go out and perform and work to do that and to earn the trust and respect of your teammates and your coaches,” Tucker said. “But even last year, everyone thought we knew what our lineup was going to look like and we surely didn’t. Things change in spring training and as the next season unfolds, but I just want to go out and play well, show well, earn the trust of my teammates and staff and know that if center field is where they want to stick me, I’ll be fully capable of doing that.”

The future: If Tucker is going to stay in center, he can expect competition from Anthony Alford and Bryan Reynolds. Both played the position after Dyson was traded to the Chicago White Sox in late August.

But the Pirates aren’t ruling out returning Tucker to the infield, where he could compete for playing time at shortstop and second base.

“I know he got more reps in the outfield this year than in the infield, but our full expectation going into next year is that infield and shortstop (are) certainly a part of who he is and part of his game,” Cherington said. “So we’re going to challenge him to continue to earn an opportunity. We’re not ruling out the infield, for sure.”

Problem is, the Pirates wouldn’t have signed Erik Gonzalez to a one-year contract for $1.225 million if they didn’t consider him a potential starter at shortstop. And Adam Frazier is a two-time Gold Glove finalist at second base. Even when Frazier played left field, Kevin Newman slid over from shortstop to play second base.

So Tucker could be a man without a starting position but one who can be a dynamic defender as a utility infielder and outfielder — if he can prove that his bat belongs in the lineup.

“Yeah, we still view him as an infielder on both sides of the ball in the middle of the infield, to play second and to play short, just like the ability of Frazier we saw of going into the outfield,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think when you have more options, then you have more versatility, it provides more opportunities.”