Struggling San Francisco Giants Infielder Changing Positions this Spring

The San Francisco Giants are hoping a change of position, along with a different outlook, will help one of their former top prospects at the plate.

Sep 11, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Marco Luciano (37) hits a single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. / John Hefti-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants have remained patient with Marco Luciano.

The former international free agent needed six years to make his Major League debut. Last year the opportunity arose to take a full-time job but didn’t grab it. He has slashed .217/.286/.304/.590 in 41 MLB games.

His numbers in the minor leagues — a slash line of .257/.361/.456/.817 with 65 home runs and 231 RBI — are numbers that Major League teams are willing to wait on.

Only now, the Giants will be waiting on them as Luciano gets used to playing in the outfield.

Manager Bob Melvin told reporters on Friday, including NBC Sports Bay Area, that Luciano would play the corner infield spots this spring to find more ways to get him playing time.

It will help avoid a logjam of infielders that the Giants have right now. The signing of Willy Adames to start at shortstop included a move of Tyler Fitzgerald to second base. Fitzgerald assumed shortstop last year due to injury and Luciano’s inability to create consistent offense at the plate.

As for the hitting, Luciano told the San Francisco Chronicle that he felt “totally lost” last season. He said he was “…doing things I’m not normally used to doing.”

His 2024 did not start in the Majors. He was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento start the season after spring training ended. The Giants called him up for the first time on May 14. But, two weeks later he was on the injured list with a right hamstring strain.

He went back to Sacramento for a rehab assignment and then returned to San Francisco on June 13. He went and forth between the River Cats and the Gants the rest of the season.

Because Luciano doesn’t have the Major League service time yet, he is still considered a prospect. In fact, he is the Giants’ No. 2 prospect per Baseball America.

Moving to the outfield may be a long-term play. Mike Yastrzemski, the expected starting right fielder, is entering the final year of team control and will be a free agent this offseason. Should Luciano emerge as a quality outfielder, that could allow the Giants to move Yastrzemski in a trade at midseason or allow him to walk in free agency.

But Luciano’s bat must improve and dwelling on last season does him no good.

“Mentally, I just have to accept it and move on and do what's best for the team,” he said.

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