Marco Luciano couldn't miss until he did.
Luciano was expected to be Brandon Crawford's long-term replacement at shortstop for the San Francisco Giants, a worthy successor to a player who won four Gold Gloves, appeared in three All-Star Games, and helped the franchise win two World Series titles. Luciano was ranked the 39th-best prospect in baseball by MLB.com before the 2024 season, while Baseball Prospectus ranked him No. 43 and Baseball America ranked him No. 56.
However, Luciano turned out not to be the answer. The Giants pivoted to shortstop Willy Adames last winter, signing the free agent to a seven-year, $182-million contract.
Luciano became a forgotten man this year, spending the season at Triple-A Sacramento and making the conversation to left fielder. Now, he is no longer with the Giants after the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed him off waivers on Friday.
On the surface, this is a questionable move by the Pirates, especially for those fans who place a high emphasis on batting average. Though he hit 23 home runs and stole 10 bases in 125 games this past season, his slash line was .214/.335/.413.
In 41 games with the Giants in 2023 and 2024, Luciano played both middle infield positions and had a slash line of .217/.286/.304 with no homers in 126 plate appearances.
Yet while claiming Luciano might seem like a waste of time for the Pirates, it's not. He is just 24 years old, and the fee for claiming Luciano is $50,000. It could be money well spent if the Pirates could turn Luciano's potential into production.
Granted, Sacramento has a hitter's ballpark, and Pacific Coast League statistics have historically skewed in favor of the offense. Still, the 23 homers and 75 walks are enticing to the Pirates after finishing last in MLB in home runs, runs scored, and OPS this year. Luciano was second in the PCL in bases on balls and fifth in home runs.
Baseball America ranked Luciano as the second-best player in the 2018 international amateur free agent class. The Giants gave a $2.6-million signing bonus to the Dominican Republic native.
Can the Pirates resurrect Luciano's career? Only time will tell.
However, Luciano is undoubtedly a worthwhile low-risk gamble with his talent, pedigree, and age.