The Pirates have claimed infielder/outfielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Giants, per a team announcement. Pittsburgh’s claim of the former top prospect fills their 40-man roster. The Giants hadn’t previously announced a DFA for Luciano but were clearly trying to pass him through waivers to free up some roster space.
Originally signed as a teenager out of his native Dominican Republic, the now-24-year-old Luciano spent five consecutive seasons on Baseball America’s top-100 prospect lists, topping out at No. 12 in the game in the 2020-21 offseason. He was a steady producer throughout much of his time in the low minors, but Luciano’s bat stalled out in Triple-A and strikeouts have become a major concern.
In 226 games (1017 plate appearances) at the Triple-A level, Luciano has managed only a .227/.351/.401 batting line — despite those plate appearances coming in an exorbitantly hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League environment. He’s also struck out an alarming 29.6% of the time in Triple-A, including a 30.6% clip this past season. He hasn’t fared any better in brief major league looks, hitting a combined .217/.286/.304 with a 35.7% strikeout rate in 126 plate appearances between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He spent all of 2025 in Triple-A.
Luciano was at one point considered the potential shortstop of the future in San Francisco — an heir to longtime shortstop Brandon Crawford. The Giants began to shift away from that possibility in 2024 when they got Luciano some time at second base in Triple-A. Last offseason’s signing of Willy Adames to a seven-year deal officially pulled the plug on any hope that Luciano could eventually claim that spot. The Giants gave him one Triple-A game at first base in 2025 and otherwise played him exclusively as a left fielder or designated hitter.
Luciano is out of minor league options, so the Pirates won’t be able to send him to Triple-A without first passing him through waivers themselves. If he makes it to spring training on the 40-man roster, he’ll have a chance to claim a bench role in Pittsburgh if he can put together a strong performance during Grapefruit League play.
The Pirates don’t have set options at shortstop, second base or in left field, so Luciano could theoretically compete for playing time at any of those spots — though Pittsburgh’s press release announcing the move referred to him solely as an outfielder. He’ll join newly acquired Jhostynxon Garcia as a righty-swinging corner outfield option on the depth chart, though Garcia has a far better chance of carving out regular playing time.
Hardly knew ya kid
Good luck 🏴☠️
The end of an error
They just lost a guy who hit .123, so .217 is a drastic improvement.
First rounder too??
He’s not good
But if they keep it up, the next one will bat .300
Double it and give it to the next guy.
he was an international signing so a no rounder
No, no he wasn’t.
Had no idea he was DFA’d.
Don’t think anyone did until this report. Grant Brisbee of The Athletic just mentioned him as tradable in a very recent article.
Making room on the 40 man for someone. I really thought Meckler would have gone first, but maybe he has too ?
I believe Meckler, Matos, and Encarnacion all out of options so something will have to give.
I have heard Meckler may receive a 4th option year.
There are certain rules that I’m not fully aware of that would allow a 4th option year and apparently Meckler qualifies.
True
of those 3 encarnaceon is the most expendable
The Pirates are all in.
Damn this made me laugh out loud. Startled my cat.
Luciano, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Jesus Travieso for Johan Oviedo, Adonys Guzman, and Tyler Samaniego… who says no?
Marco and the Password, life can’t get much better as a Pirates fan can it!
Ya gotta admit the name Marco fits way better as a Pirate than a Giant. I’ll never forget that time you……..yes I will.
Good luck kid. You define change of scenery candidate.
Didn’t know you could make waiver claims in December. I don’t know the rules at all.
Too bad there isn’t a thing you could use to go learn them!
It was never announced he was DFA’d.
Finally the Giants pull the plug on this kid, never lived up to the hype.
A change of scenery will do him good and who knows he might be better off with the Pirates ?!?
Why are so many teams trying to clear roster spots right now? It must be in preparation for the Rule 5 draft or something.
I think teams already had to declare who they’re protecting
They did, but in order to make a selection, you need an open spot on your 40-man roster. These moves may be in preparation for that.
Look out Konnor Griffin… the Buccos aren’t just going to give you SS without competition!
Let the crying games begin.
Some will say the Giants mismanaged this kid. They didn’t. He couldn’t play shortstop. Everyone in baseball knew it. But the previous regime in SF wouldn’t listen. He was coined the starting SS in 2023; it looked like he had a stone glove.
Biggest mistake the Giants made was not trading this kid when he was a Top 20 prospect in 2021..
Wish him all the best.
Don’t mind this move but that’s enough with the righties. PNC Park is not friendly to them. The only other righty I will allow is Suarez coming to Pittsburgh. Or, in my dreams, Alonso. No one else.
Always felt like he was beyond overrated as a prospect. He’s never even really hit in the minors..yet every year, Giants fans would talk about him as the next great SS.
Prediction: He’ll be in the KBO by ‘27.
not really – I think that the spinal fracture was highly underreported. if you look at him before and during/after the stress fracture in his spine they are like night and day. hopefully he can bounce back but it has been a painful process
I hope he does well in Pittsburgh. Sometimes the Buccos succeed in grabbing the Giants’ failed prospects and doing them some good.
luciano, reynolds, bart…
This is sneaky
I imagine the Bucs will make a trade of one of their infielders next week which might include this kid
Griffin is expected to compete for a job during spring training and if his talents are achieved, he will become the starting shortstop next year
1st Reynolds, then Bart & now Luciano to Pirates
In the 70s the pirates were named the LUMBER COMPANY. In the 2020s their name has become the STRIKEOUT COMPANY. Here’s another dumpster dive by cherrington. Another strikeout machine
That prospect stock didn’t fall, it crashed, burned, and left a crater in the earth…
That’s more like the modern Bucs! The story of his career seems all too common: drafted as a SS or CF (that’s where the best players play so understandable) that eventually is forced/asked to move to a different position. You gotta wonder what that does to their ego and confidence level going forward. I would guess that a lot of said players take such a psychological hit that they can’t perform well (if at all) anymore. Maybe I ll search the Sports Psychology literature.
both surprised and not surprised by this. he was out of options and playing OF where the giants had 10 OFs on the 40 man, I am a little bit surprised that other guys were kept ahead of him though