Marco Luciano’s Unsteady Offseason: Once a Top Prospect, Now Searching for Stability
Not long ago, Marco Luciano was viewed as the next big thing in San Francisco - a power-hitting shortstop with a rocket arm and a future as the heir apparent to Brandon Crawford. Fast forward to this offseason, and the 24-year-old has been designated for assignment three times in just a matter of weeks.
It started with the Giants, the organization that signed him as a teenager and watched him rise through the ranks as one of baseball’s most hyped international prospects. But after a string of underwhelming seasons and a crowded 40-man roster, San Francisco made the call to DFA him.
The Pittsburgh Pirates were quick to claim him - a move that made sense considering they’d already taken a flier on another former Giant in Joey Bart. But Luciano’s time in Pittsburgh was short-lived, as he was DFA’d again just days later.
Enter the Baltimore Orioles, who decided to take their own chance on the former top prospect. Given the Orioles’ track record of player development and their knack for turning around once-promising careers, it felt like a possible turning point. But once again, Luciano found himself on the outside looking in, as Baltimore too moved on.
Three Teams, Three DFA’s - A Harsh Reality of the Roster Shuffle
Luciano’s journey this offseason isn’t exactly rare - this is the time of year when front offices shuffle their rosters like a deck of cards. The Giants themselves have been on both sides of that process, claiming outfielders Joey Wiemer and Justin Dean earlier in the offseason, only to waive them shortly after to clear space for other moves.
But for Luciano, the constant movement has to feel like a whirlwind. After spending his entire professional career with one organization, he’s now been passed around like a waiver-wire hot potato. And yet, despite the instability, there’s still a sense that someone will give him a real shot - maybe not right away, but certainly before Opening Day.
Power Still Plays - Even If the Path Is Uncertain
Luciano’s 2023 campaign with Triple-A Sacramento showed glimpses of the player scouts once raved about. He posted a .214/.335/.413 slash line with 23 home runs and 66 RBIs. The batting average wasn’t pretty, but the power was still there - and in today’s game, that kind of pop doesn’t go unnoticed.
He didn’t get a call-up to the big leagues last season, which speaks to where he currently stands in terms of MLB readiness. But the tools haven’t vanished.
He’s still young, still strong, and still capable of doing damage at the plate. The question now becomes whether a team can help him harness that raw talent and turn it into consistent production.
Luciano’s also had to deal with some positional changes and limited opportunities at the major league level, which haven’t helped his case. But the upside remains intriguing. Power like his doesn’t grow on trees, and there’s always a team willing to take a shot on a player with his pedigree - even if it means a few more stops along the way.
What’s Next?
Luciano is likely to land with another club soon, and when he does, he’ll almost certainly get an invite to spring training. Whether he sticks or not is another story. But for a 24-year-old who once looked like the future at shortstop in San Francisco, the journey is far from over.
He’s no longer the blue-chip prospect he once was, but in a league that’s always hungry for power and potential, Luciano’s story isn’t done being written. The hope now is that he finds the right fit - a team with the patience, coaching, and opportunity to help him rediscover the player he was projected to be.
Until then, he remains one of the more intriguing names on the waiver wire - a reminder of how quickly baseball can change, and how hard it is to go from "can’t-miss" to "major league mainstay."