Marco Luciano’s tenure with the San Francisco Giants has come to an end, as the former top prospect was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. The move leaves the Giants’ 40-man roster with 39 players.
The departure was widely anticipated, as Luciano was out of minor-league options and did not have a clear role on the upcoming Opening Day roster. San Francisco’s recent acquisition of outfielder Joey Wiemer further signaled that a change was imminent.
Luciano entered 2024 spring training as the presumptive heir to shortstop Brandon Crawford. However, those plans were upended when the Giants signed veteran Nick Ahmed, who secured the starting position and sent Luciano to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season.
He struggled in his limited major league appearances in 2024, batting .211 with a .562 OPS and recording -3 defensive runs saved over 27 games. While he hit 23 home runs for Triple-A Sacramento, his overall offensive performance was four percent below the Pacific Coast League average, and he posted a .214 batting average. This followed an offseason positional change where the organization converted him from an infielder to an outfielder.
Signed for $2.6 million as a premier international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2018, Luciano quickly rose through the ranks as one of the organization’s most promising prospects. He made his MLB debut in 2023, playing in 14 games for the Giants.
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