Where Luciano stands in the Giants’ shortstop plans after Ahmed DFA’d

Where Luciano stands in the Giants’ shortstop plans after Ahmed DFA’d originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – When the Giants signed former Gold Glove Award winner Nick Ahmed in the spring, many wondered why they didn’t push for a reunion with Brandon Crawford, their multi-time Gold Glove shortstop.

What the Giants couldn’t say publicly is that it would be much easier to part ways with Ahmed during the season if it was time to turn to a young shortstop, and that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday.

The Giants DFA’d Ahmed, but the rest of it the initial plan has not yet worked as expected.

Marco Luciano it was supposed to be the rookie who would push aside the veteran at some point, but instead the Giants are turning to Brett Wisely and Tyler Fitzgerald. The same day he split with Ahmed, Luciano started at second base in Triple-A.

The 22-year-old top prospect has made nine starts at second base since being optioned back to Triple-A. He is splitting his time between the two outfield positions, but president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the Giants still view Luciano as a shortstop.

“No one jumps to conclusions based on a short period and a handful of difficult plays that didn’t work out,” Zaidi said Tuesday. “Part of it is just our philosophy of wanting to find different spots to get guys to the big leagues when we have opportunities. Diversifying things a little for him made some sense (but) we’re not going to give up the shortstop role. for him.

“From what we’ve monitored, his defensive metrics at shortstop have been pretty solid in the minor leagues the last two years. In a large sample size, he’s done a good job. Look, it’s always going to be different when you come up here with the pressure and the expectations and be able to do that night after night on a big stage. That will be a hurdle for him, but we’ll continue to get reps there.

It’s true that the Giants had almost all of their minor leaguers learn multiple positions, although Luciano was always an exception. He threw just 46 innings at second this season, but struggled defensively during his last stint in the big leagues, particularly late in games on a thrilling road trip to Pittsburgh and New York. It certainly stands out that the Giants have adjusted their defensive outlook since that week.

Luciano went 9-for-24 during that run in the big leagues, but his OPS in a hitter-friendly Triple-A league is below .700 and he has just three homers. A winning streak could easily put him back in the majors, but for now the Giants will support each other wisely and Fitzgerald. Manager Bob Melvin said the two would quickly form a platoon.

“Obviously you don’t see as many lefties, so Wisely will predominantly have the most at-bats, but (there are) (changes) in the game as well,” Melvin said. “Smartly swung the bat really well against the lefties, but I think both of them will have the opportunity to play.”

The two were right in the thick of Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Oracle Park. Fitzgerald hit a home run in the eighth to pull the Giants within one run and Wisely tied it up in the ninth. A tight walk by Fitzgerald kept the rally going, and he raced home for the winning run on a wild pitch.

Fitzgerald said it was a bittersweet day, noting that Ahmed was a mentor. On several occasions, he said Ahmed called him after games to talk about the game and what he was seeing. But Fitzgerald also understands that this is by far his best chance to remain a big leaguer.

“It’s exciting,” Fitzgerald said. “As much as we love Nick and as much as he’s done for us – and for me personally, he was kind of a mentor to me and took me under his wing – as much as it’s a shame for him to leave, it’s definitely an opportunity for me.”

Fitzgerald is 26 and Wisely is 25, so while both are a little older as prospects, they could still easily be a big part of the future in San Francisco. The Giants hope Luciano is as well, and he doesn’t have to look far to find motivation, despite not getting the call when Ahmed was released.

The Giants are building their young lineup around Heliot Ramos, who struggled in the big leagues when he was 22 years old. Two years later, he’s headed to the All-Star Game.

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