Why it makes no sense for the SF Giants to trade former top power-hitting prospect

Former top SF Giants prospect Marco Luciano is in the midst of one of his best stretches at the plate. The timing of his hot streak is interesting, as it coincides with the looming MLB trade deadline, but it makes little sense to move the right-handed bat.

Why it makes no sense for the SF Giants to trade former top power-hitting prospect

The time to move Luciano would have been several years ago, when he had a strong prospect pedigree and was listed as among the top prospects in the game. Now, there just is not much trade value.

Teams are not going to be eager to trade anything of value for a soon-to-be-out-of-options outfielder with a career .776 OPS in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. That said, rebuilding clubs would certainly take a flyer on a 23-year-old hitter with the type of raw power Luciano possesses.

Luciano's development has seemingly stalled at the highest minor league affiliate. To this point, his Triple-A arc mirrors Heliot Ramos' path with the Sacramento River Cats. The Giants' All-Star outfielder reached Triple-A in 2021, but it took a couple of years before he found his footing.

In fact, it was not until he returned from an oblique injury midway through the 2023 season that his career turned the corner. At that point, he had a .244 batting average in 705 at-bats with Sacramento. His batting average with Sacramento rose to .307 in 277 at-bats after returning from injury. Luciano has exactly 700 at-bats with Sacramento. He is the same age as Ramos was, and has had some of the same struggles.

Both possess above-average raw power, but struggled to get that to play in the game due to a bat path that generated too many ground balls. Ramos has shown improvement in that category, leading to a breakout season last year. Luciano's overall stat line is not great, but he is in the midst of a hot streak.

Since July 1, the 23-year-old hitter has tallied 11 hits, seven of which have left the ballpark. When he gets the ball in the air, good things happen. His 23.8 percent homerun/flyball ratio is among the best in the minors, and his 19 home runs lead the Giants organization by a comfortable margin.

Even if the entire 2025 season has not been all that strong, he has still shown the ability to hit 30+ home runs in a league where he is still relatively young.

Sure, there is no clear path for Luciano. Ramos is the everyday left fielder for the Giants, while Luciano is still relatively new to that position. His introduction to left field was pretty rough, but he has only made only error since early May. Luciano has the arm to profile in right field, but range and consistency will likely limit him to left field. His looks in left field have been improving.

The Giants could include him in a trade package, but he would not be the headliner. With where his value is, the Giants could also include a bunch of different prospects for a rental player.

They have nothing to gain by moving Luciano. If he is beginning to turn the corner, they could stand to lose quite a bit. Maybe he does not have a long-term role with the club, but things can change quickly. If he comes up and hits well, that could change how the Giants value him or make him a modestly more appealing trade target.

Luciano will enter next season without any minor league options unless he is granted a rare fourth option year. The Giants have held on to him for this long. They might as well allow him to try and earn a spot on the roster next spring, if an opportunity does not come sooner.