The Baltimore Orioles have had one of the busiest offseasons in Major League Baseball.
After claiming former Cleveland Guardians slugger Jhonkensy Noel off waivers, they continued their hunt for young, controllable talent. At least in the position players department.
But to open a 40-man roster spot for a new addition, they designated Noel for assignment on Wednesday.
According to Francys Romero on X, the Orioles claimed 24-year-old infielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates designated the shortstop and second baseman for assignment in December.
Luciano was a well-regarded prospect with the Giants
Luciano signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic with the San Francisco Giants in 2018. He became their No. 1-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline in 2021, taking the top spot from catcher Joey Bart.
He made a negative impact in his 41 Major League games with the Giants from 2023-24, posting a -0.3 bWAR with 45 strikeouts in 126 plate appearances. Luciano could start the season as infield depth at Triple-A Norfolk, or crack the Opening Day roster if Gunnar Henderson or Jackson Holliday suffers an injury during spring training.
Otherwise, it's hard to imagine the right-handed hitter receiving lots of playing time with the big league club. Although Luciano spent most of time in left field at Triple-A Sacramento this past year, so that's an additional route the Orioles could take.
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