Former major league outfielder Preston Tucker, who started the season at Triple-A in the Chicago White Sox’s organization, has agreed to a deal Friday to join the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization, the Yonhap News Agency of Korea reported.
Tucker, who has 243 games of major league experience, is expected to be granted his release from the White Sox’s organization. He played 97 games in the major leagues last season for both the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, batting .229 with six home runs and 27 RBIs.
Tucker, 28, a former 16th-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2011, was batting .284 at Triple-A Charlotte with one home run and 10 RBIs in 24 games.
Tucker will take the foreign-player roster spot that was held by outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker, who was waived Friday. Hazelbaker, who was signed this past offseason, played in just 11 of the Tigers’ 38 games this season and had been sent to the Futures League, the KBO equivalent of Triple-A.
Tucker is expected to undergo a physical exam in Korea on Monday in order to make the deal official. He is a career .222 hitter in the major leagues with 23 home runs and 68 RBIs.