Even the most exciting names claimed on the waiver wire are still just that: waiver wire additions. Their stays on a 40-man roster are far from guaranteed.
Jhonkensy Noel, designated for assignment just two days after he was claimed off of waivers from the Cleveland Guardians, is the latest example. Big Christmas, a corner outfielder with experience at first base, struggled mightily to tap into his power potential in 2025 after bursting onto the season the previous year. Plus, in Baltimore, a laundry list of names at his primary positions sat ahead of him for playing time. As such, he’s free to be claimed by another team once again.
Taking Noel’s spot on the roster, ironically, is another big-name waiver claim: Marco Luciano.
That name may ring a quieter bell, as Luciano hasn’t found the same kind of big league success as Noel. But the former international signing was once considered to be one of the best prospects in the game, ranked as high as the No. 13 in baseball entering the 2022 season, according to MLB Pipeline.
Could this big-name waiver claim fare better than his predecessor?
Luciano’s scouting report in 2022 did raise questions about his bat-to-ball skills and fielding ability, but noted that he had “the bat to be a superstar,” according to Pipeline. What separated him was his power, graded at a 65 on the 20-80 scale at the time, punctuated by a 2021 minor league season in which he hit 19 home runs, 17 doubles and 5 triples in 106 games.
The top prospect, who had missed significant time with back issues, was promoted to the majors in 2023 with just 18 career Triple-A games under his belt, and hit a modest .231 with a .641 OPS. With a cup of coffee in the big leagues, Luciano was expected to claim the San Francisco Giants’ shortstop job for his own in 2024.
Instead, another injury got in the way.
The rookie had a hamstring issue early in spring training, according to MLB’s Maria Guardado, and the setback kept Luciano from finding a rhythm at the plate in camp. The powerful shortstop found himself on the injured list once again, and he didn’t make his season debut until mid-May. He didn’t impress in the 27 games he had in the majors, and hasn’t seen the big leagues since.
2025 did, at least, bring more success for Luciano from a health standpoint. The Dominican Republic native played 125 games in Triple-A, eclipsing the 100-game threshold for just the second time in his career. That wasn’t the only significant development, either.
Luciano was an early cut from Giants camp in 2025, according to MLB’s Alex Stumpf, because the club hoped to transition the player they once thought to be their shortstop of the future to the outfield. That’s where he featured in 107 of those 125 contests.
Like Noel, Luciano was claimed by Baltimore despite not having any minor league options remaining. So, if the O’s want to keep him in the organization at the Triple-A level, they’ll have to hope that he successfully passes through waivers. A path to staying on the roster, and in the big leagues, is harder to craft, and that defensive home could play a large, determining factor in the length of Luciano’s stay in Baltimore.
If the former top prospect is exclusively a corner outfielder, it’s highly unlikely that there is any major league playing time to be had, barring injuries. Leody Taveras, and his ability to play center field, would seemingly be more valuable to the club as the fifth outfielder.
Perhaps, though, Luciano could showcase his ability to play both the outfield and infield in order to find some big-league playing time. In Jeremiah Jackson, Baltimore has a player with a similar archetype, but Luciano could certainly compete for a spot in that role.
That is, of course, if Luciano’s roster spot survives until spring training. Even the big-name waiver claims are far from guarantees.