Pirates A to Z: Connor Joe's career comes full circle with return to team that drafted him

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 Miguel Andujar to pitcher Bryse Wilson.

Player: Connor Joe

Position: Outfield/first base

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

Age: 30 (Aug. 16)

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 205 pounds

2022 MLB statistics: Slashed .163/.241/.248 with four doubles, seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 105 games for Cleveland

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration

Acquired: From the Colorado Rockies in a trade for minor league pitcher Nick Garcia on Dec. 18

This past season: Before Joe became a fan favorite with the Rockies, he went from 2014 first-round pick by the Pirates (39th overall) out of the University of San Diego to becoming a baseball journeyman.

The Pirates traded Joe to the Atlanta Braves in Aug. 2017 for utility infielder Sean Rodriguez. The Braves sent Joe to the Los Angeles Dodgers a month later for international bonus pool money. The Cincinnati Reds selected Joe in the 2018 Rule 5 Draft, only to trade him to the San Francisco Giants in March 2019.

It was with the Giants that Joe made his major league debut, going 0 for 1 and drawing a walk while playing before family and friends in his hometown of San Diego. He got his first hit against Tampa Bay, but after going 1 for 15 with five strikeouts, the Giants designated Joe for assignment a few weeks later and he was returned to the Dodgers.

“I’ve experienced a lot in baseball in my short amount of time playing the game professionally,” Joe said. “I’ve been traded. I’ve been Rule 5’d. I’ve been DFA’d. It’s cool. It really has allowed me to meet a lot of people in different organizations and see how different organizations are run. The relationships don’t close or don’t end with a trade or with a DFA. That’s what I’m really grateful for: The relationships I’ve built in this game.

“As far as resilience, I don’t know if that’s necessarily built from trades. It’s more so built from your experiences in the game, my experiences outside of the game that I’ve hade to deal with personally.”

Joe’s resiliency – as well as his love for baseball – was soon tested in a different way. As a goal-oriented athlete, he had his sights set on playing in the majors but faced obstacles along the way. The next one presented an incredible challenge.

It was during a routine physical as a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Dodgers that Joe was diagnosed with testicular cancer on Feb. 20, 2020, and he underwent chemotherapy. Joe was declared cancer-free five months later to the day but missed the covid-shortened season.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, my goal was to be cancer-free,” Joe said. “I interviewed doctors and set goals and roadmaps. So, I think more so than anything, that’s the mentality of an athlete, having to grind through something, whether it’s learning in the minor leagues, grinding through the minor leagues. All this stuff hardened me and prepared me for that battle that I fought.

“I think the day-to-day where showing up to the ballpark, you’re not necessarily going to feel your best. You get banged up a lot in a 162-game season. So, understanding that, knowing that chemotherapy wasn’t always going to be easy, everything I’ve learned in baseball set me up for success in my battle with cancer.”

After overcoming cancer in 2020, Colorado 1B/LF Connor Joe is making a name for himself in the bigs with 7 HR's in 47 games. @Rockies | #Rockies pic.twitter.com/uRVr2unjDu

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) August 17, 2021

Joe signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies that November, and it served as a springboard to his batting .285/.379/.469 with nine doubles, eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 63 games.

What a month it's been for the @Rockies' Connor Joe (.349/.451/.605).

The success is allowing @cojo__18 to become a role model for both Asian Americans & people fighting cancer. ????????#TesticularCancerAwarenessMonth pic.twitter.com/IbKoJj0Ehz

— MLB Players Media (@MLBPlayersMedia) April 22, 2022

This past season was his first full year in the majors, and Joe batted .238/.338/.359 with 20 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 28 RBIs in 111 games. Those numbers were boosted by a strong first half, where he slashed .262/.368/.382 with 16 doubles, four triples, five homers and 23 RBIs in 85 games. Joe struggled in the second half, batting .139 with four doubles, two homers and five RBIs in his final 26 games.

Joe gained a reputation for his patience at the plate, drawing an above-average 11.8% walk rate.

“I think having the game taken away from me put everything in perspective. I saw the game in a different view, I think,” Joe said. “I started playing the game with more joy, enjoying the little things of a baseball season that people in the clubhouse could really complain about or find mundane.”

That perspective shift, as Joe called it, made him appreciate his chance to play in the majors. So he sees the trade to the Pirates as an opportunity to expand his role.

“I want to be able to make an impact every day for the Pirates,” Joe said. “Whatever my role might be, whatever they see for me, I want to help them accomplish that. I want to win.”

Connor Joe homer for the Rockies lead! pic.twitter.com/m92NERH9sx

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 10, 2022

The future: Joe has an appreciation for returning to the team that drafted him after five years away and playing for five different teams.

“It’s definitely a full-circle type moment, right?” Joe said. “When I got drafted in 2014, my dreams of big league baseball was always at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. In 2017, I learned the business side of baseball. I got traded to the Braves and that really threw me for a loop.

“You get to learn the business side of baseball really quickly. So, now, to to come back after being with different organizations and having to experience the big leagues, I’m really excited. I’m excited to play in Pittsburgh. I’m excited to show up to PNC every day.”

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said he was attracted to Joe’s combination of “on-base ability, low strikeouts and defensive versatility.” Joe’s splits as a right-handed batter against left-handed pitching, with a .258/.347/.412 slash line, could make him a candidate for a platoon situation at first base or a corner outfield spot.

Where Pirates manager Derek Shelton will play Joe is the pressing question. Joe played 50 games in left field, 27 as designated hitter, 24 at first base and 16 in right field for the Rockies last season. He is accustomed to the cavernous outfield at Coors Field, so playing left field at PNC Park shouldn’t be too big of an adjustment.

“Connor’s ability to play both first and the outfield and be a really good matchup against left-handed pitching in particular gives us on-base ability and gives Shelty some options,” Cherington said. “Again, as we talked about lengthening the lineup, we could see him playing a lot. We can also see him combining with other guys at different spots. He’s got a reputation as a gamer, someone who plays the game the right way and plays hard.

“I wasn’t with the Pirates when he was here before, but certainly we’ve got people who were and we’re looking for it. We’re looking forward to welcoming him back.”