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? 

The depth moves keep coming from the Orioles.

They aren’t solely geared toward making big splashes. Smaller transactions are trickling in, as well.

A source confirmed today that the Orioles claimed infielder Marco Luciano, 24, on waivers from the Pirates. A full 40-man roster will require a corresponding move to make him fit.

The holiday slowdown kept Luciano in limbo since the Pirates designated him for assignment on Dec. 19. They selected him on waivers from the Giants on the 5^th.

Luciano appeared in 41 major league games with San Francisco from 2023-24, batting .217/.286/.304 in 126 plate appearances. Baseball America previously had ranked him among its top 15 minor league players when he was a teenager.