The New York Yankees claimed infielder/outfielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on January 22, 2026. The 24-year-old former top prospect of the San Francisco Giants brings electric bat speed and right-handed power to the team. This move fills the Yankees' 40-man roster amid other impending transactions.
On January 22, 2026, the New York Yankees added depth to their roster by claiming 24-year-old infielder/outfielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Luciano, a right-handed batter from San Francisco de Macorís, D.R., was originally signed by the Giants as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2018. Once rated as the Giants' top prospect and featured on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list from 2020 to 2024, he is known for his electric bat speed and right-handed pop.
Luciano's major league experience came in limited stints with San Francisco in 2023 and 2024, where he batted .217 (25-for-115) with 14 runs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 11 walks, and 1 stolen base over 41 games. He appeared defensively at shortstop (22 games, 19 starts) and second base (9 games, 7 starts). In 2025, he spent the entire season with Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants' system, hitting .214 (99-for-462) with 76 runs, 21 doubles, 1 triple, 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 85 walks, and 10 stolen bases in 125 games, primarily in left field (107 games/starts) and once at first base.
Across 500 minor league games over parts of six seasons (2019, 2021-2025) in the Giants' organization, Luciano has a .246/.355/.445 slash line, with 326 runs, 86 doubles, 9 triples, 88 home runs, 297 RBIs, 302 walks, and 35 stolen bases. His defensive versatility includes shortstop (294 games/291 starts), left field (107 games/starts), second base (27 games/starts), and first base (1 game/start).
This offseason has seen Luciano change teams multiple times. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 5, 2025, but designated for assignment on December 19. Baltimore then claimed him on January 7, 2026, before designating him for assignment on January 15. The Yankees' acquisition fills their 40-man roster spot, with another move expected soon: the formal announcement of Cody Bellinger's five-year, $162.5 million contract, agreed to on January 21 and pending a physical.
