Michael Siani’s Waiver Wire Whirlwind, and the Marco Luciano Puzzle in the Bronx
If Major League Baseball had a frequent flyer program for waiver claims, Michael Siani would be platinum by now. Over the past three months, the 24-year-old outfielder has pinballed his way from St.
Louis to Atlanta to Los Angeles, landed briefly in the Bronx, and now finds himself back with the Dodgers. That’s five teams in roughly 90 days - a tour de force of roster limbo that perfectly captures life on the fringe of a 40-man roster.
This isn’t a case of teams souring on a player. Quite the opposite - clubs clearly see something in Siani.
But when it comes time to make room for a more immediate need, he’s the odd man out. It’s the harsh reality of modern roster construction: potential is great, but flexibility is king.
Dodgers Reclaim Siani - Again
The Yankees were the latest to take a flyer on Siani, scooping him up in late January. The move made sense.
His elite speed and outfield defense made him a logical candidate for late-game substitution or injury insurance. But just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone - claimed off waivers by the Dodgers earlier this week.
For the Dodgers, it’s a reunion. They’d previously let Siani go, only to circle back once a roster spot opened up. It’s a testament to how thin the margins are at the back end of a 40-man - and how much teams value controllable, athletic depth, even if it means a game of musical chairs.
Siani’s not just living out of a suitcase - he’s living in the margins of MLB front offices’ Excel sheets. And while his bat hasn’t yet caught up to his glove, the fact that multiple contenders keep taking chances on him says he’s not just a throwaway name.
Yankees Sneak Luciano Through Waivers
While Siani’s been racking up airline miles, Marco Luciano has quietly become one of the more intriguing storylines in the Yankees’ system.
On Saturday, the Yankees managed to outright Luciano to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slipping him through waivers without another club pulling the trigger. That’s a small but notable win for the Yankees’ front office - they keep a former top prospect without sacrificing a 40-man spot.
Luciano’s fall from elite prospect status has been steep, but not irreversible. Once the crown jewel of the Giants’ farm system, the 24-year-old still flashes the kind of raw power that made scouts salivate.
He launched 23 homers in Triple-A last season - a reminder that when he connects, the ball goes. The issue?
He’s connecting far too infrequently.
Power vs. Contact: The Luciano Dilemma
The numbers paint a clear picture. A .214 batting average in the Pacific Coast League - a hitter-friendly environment - is a red flag. Pair that with a strikeout rate north of 30 percent, and you’re looking at a player who’s struggling to adjust to advanced pitching.
What keeps Luciano in the conversation is his walk rate - a stellar 15.3 percent last season. That kind of plate discipline is rare, especially for a player known more for his bat speed than his approach.
It’s the kind of underlying metric that front offices love. But walks alone won’t get you to the Bronx.
Not when you’re striking out nearly a third of the time and buried behind a logjam of more dependable utility options.
The Yankees are actively seeking a right-handed bat with defensive versatility. Luciano, on paper, checks those boxes.
He can play both infield and outfield, and his power potential is undeniable. But paper doesn’t win roster spots.
Performance does - and right now, Luciano’s swing is a work in progress.
Spring Training: Make-or-Break Time
Luciano heads into spring training at a career crossroads. Just a few years ago, he was a top-10 global prospect with a sky-high ceiling. Now, he’s a non-roster invitee trying to prove he still belongs in the conversation.
The Yankees don’t need him to be a star right away. They need him to show signs that he can adjust - that he can shorten up with two strikes, lay off breaking balls in the dirt, and turn his elite bat speed into consistent contact. If he does that, he could force his way into the big-league picture by midseason.
If not? He becomes another cautionary tale - a player with all the tools who never quite put it together. The Yankees are giving him the space to figure it out in Triple-A, but the clock is ticking.
Final Word
Michael Siani’s journey is a reminder of how volatile life can be on the edge of a Major League roster. Marco Luciano’s story is something else entirely - a test of resilience, adjustment, and whether raw talent can be refined into big-league production.
For now, one is flying back to L.A. and the other is heading to Scranton. But both are still in the game, still chasing the dream, and still just one hot streak away from changing the narrative.