Zaidi describes Luciano’s defensive future with the Giants originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Marco Luciano spent about 20 minutes Wednesday afternoon sitting on the bench. He was waiting for the coaching staff to leave to do defensive drills, but the glove he had with him might not be needed very often in the second half.
Jorge Soler’s trade was done in part to clear the runway for Luciano, who is capable of being the designated hitter for the next two months. It’s a way to get the 22-year-old to hit consistently at the big league level, though long-term the Giants hope to find different paths.
Lucian has always been one of the main potential customers because it combines power with a premium position. The Giants are hopeful he can find a permanent home on Earth as early as next season, but for now, they believe he is ready for a different role.
“We talk about the defensive progress that Marco has made, but being able to create him and even initially have him DH and be comfortable, I think there’s a lot of value in that,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said. on the Giants Talk podcast. “I think we will see him on the field too. We certainly don’t see him as a long-term DH, and with his ability to play the field, I think we’ll see some of that. I think this will be important for his development.”
Luciano was the DH in both games against the A’s, the first two without Soler, and went 2-for-6 with a double and two strikeouts. The Giants are committed to letting him ride out the ups and downs during this latest call-up, and if Luciano can continue having the kind of hits he did at Triple-A in July, Soler’s descent into rookie status won’t happen. be so steep.
But no organization dreams of turning a top prospect into a DH. The team will work with Luciano at shortstop and second base, with the latter being a much more likely position when he sees the field over the next two months.
Luciano has been a shortstop his entire professional career but struggled defensively during a previous call-up this year, seemingly validating the concerns of talent evaluators outside the organization who have long believed he will need a position change. He made 16 starts at Triple-A second base before the Giants recalled him and the team felt he was starting to adapt.
“I think he’s getting more and more comfortable,” Zaidi said. “Mistakes have been high. Part of that is game-to-game focus and shooting to field, which is an area of development.”
The Giants have not yet talked about Luciano’s long-term adaptation. It’s possible the biggest need this offseason is at second base, where Thairo Estrada looks like a potential non-tender candidate. If Matt Chapman opts out, it could be at third base, although that is Casey Schmitt’s natural position and he is the best defender of the young infielders.
Wilmer Flores, another tall shortstop, eventually became a big league first baseman. Some in the organization have felt for years that they should simply move Luciano to an outfield corner and let him focus more on hitting. He drew compositions from Alfonso Soriano when he was a young prospect, and that was the path Soriano eventually took.
There are complications, however. Zaidi said any outfield talk would have to happen in the offseason, not the next two months, and even then it’s not that appealing.
“When we thought about bringing (Jung Hoo) Lee back and what (Heliot) Ramos did and having (Luís) Matos in the organization – we just drafted James Tibbs III, who we think will move quickly – the outfield can fill up quickly,” Zaidi said. “When you have a prospect that plays in the dirt like Marco, you always want to have Be sure to exhaust these opportunities before moving them outside (to the outfield) because this can create more problems
“I think we’re going to start having more of those conversations. I’d still like to see how Marco does. He’s been playing more second base and we’ll probably still see him at shortstop.”
There is no rush to make a decision, although it seems likely that Luciano will arrive at camp next season with a new position. Right now, the Giants just want him to focus on getting comfortable in the batter’s box in the big leagues.
Ironically, the DH spot can be as tough as any for young players who aren’t used to taking their cut and then sitting for a few innings. But Luciano said that doesn’t bother him. He did that a little bit in the minors and felt comfortable.
“Whatever they want me to do, I will be ready and take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.
