SF Giants should absolutely deal forgotten former prospect while they still can

The SF Giants will likely be buying at this year's trade deadline. Well within the running for an NL Wild Card spot, the Giants have an opportunity to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. That should be enough for the team to buy some help at the deadline.

Of course, when buying at the deadline, it means somebody will have to get traded. One name that's been floated as a potential trade chip is 23-year-old outfielder Marco Luciano. Luciano was once the Giants' top prospect, and many believed he was destined to replace Brandon Crawford as the franchise's shortstop in San Francisco.

SF Giants absolutely should trade Marco Luciano at the trade deadline

Our own Jeff Young recently made the case for why it does not make sense to trade Luciano, but a case can also be made to deal him while he still has a tiny bit of value.

Right now, he's an outfielder toiling away in Triple-A. With a career OPS of .590 in the MLB, Luciano has lost nearly all his trade value. However, he's enjoyed a strong season this year in the minor leagues and may have regained some of that value. So far, he's launched 19 long balls with Sacramento, slugging .457. His batting average remains low, at .227, but his power numbers look better than ever.

Should San Francisco give him another shot in the big leagues? He's still young and is not far removed from being the club's top prospect. In fact, he was once among MLB Pipeline's highest-rated shortstop prospects, peaking at No. 4 in 2021.

On the other hand, recent history has shown that most prospects who don't figure things out after their first two stints in the MLB don't end up sticking around. Other former top prospects such as Jarred Kelenic, Drew Waters and Jordan Walker have been given second, third and fourth chances, and continue to struggle. The sad reality is that Luciano's future probably looks more like their future than anything else.

There are some success stories that bode well for Luciano. Jo Adell appears to have finally broken out with the Los Angeles Angels in his sixth MLB season. He was a former top prospect who was abysmal in his early twenties. However, there aren't many similar success stories around the league of prospects who reached their potential after years of struggling.

With Luciano seeming much more likely to flame out than become a productive MLB player, it feels like the answer is clear. If any team is interested in the young outfielder, the Giants should trade him while he still has some value. He might not be worth much anymore, but if he can even be a piece of a larger trade to bring the Giants MLB help in 2025, it would likely be worth it.