SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Two of the biggest stories in Giants camp were expected to play out throughout spring training with Bryce Eldridge and Marco Luciano competing on diamonds across the Arizona desert and management getting long looks at the future of the franchise.
Those storylines took a sudden detour on Wednesday as both players were sent to the Giants’ minor-league camp at Papago Park, a somewhat surprising decision because appearing in Cactus League exhibitions provides young hitters opportunities to face big-league pitchers and impress the front office.
Neither Eldridge nor Luciano was expected to make the Opening Day roster anyway, but the moves — Eldridge was reassigned, Luciano was optioned — come earlier than expected. The benefit, on the other hand, is that each will play more regularly in minor-league camp and be given more reps to learn their relatively new positions.
Eldridge, mostly a pitcher and designated hitter in high school and strictly an outfielder in 2023, his first year in pro ball, was converted to first base last season and quickly advanced through the four levels of the farm system. Luciano, a shortstop his entire career, has been moved to left field.
It won’t be surprising if Eldridge makes his major-league debut in 2025 and Luciano is called up at some point — unless he’s traded as catcher Joey Bart was last April. But until further notice, they’re minor-leaguers.
“At this point in time, we really don’t want to rush him,” manager Bob Melvin said of the 6-foot-7 Eldridge, who collected 23 homers and 92 RBIs across four stops last season. “Once he gets it all together and feels comfortable defensively and puts up big numbers, that’s when you’ll see him here. Whether that’s this year at some point in time, I’m not sure. But he moved up pretty quickly last year because of his bat.”
Eldridge, 20, is the team’s top prospect and first baseman of the future — a reason the Giants didn’t commit long-term to a free-agent first baseman and why LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores are the first basemen for now. Luciano, 23, previously topped the team’s prospect list but has fallen out of favor because of his failure to produce either offensively or defensively in his limited big-league experience.
“We really want him to go down there and play every day,” Melvin said, “and get the outfield thing under his belt, which he’s handled beautifully, then the bat’s going to start to play a little bit more.”
Neither Eldridge nor Luciano had wowed the front office in camp, though each showed glimpses of tremendous power. Eldridge was 2-for-11 (.182) with a homer — a 450-foot shot in his second at-bat — and eight strikeouts, and Luciano was 2-for-19 (.105) with a homer and five strikeouts.
Melvin said it’s possible for Eldridge, who will continue to get tutored at first base by long-time coach Ron Wotus and other staffers, to get called up from minor-league camp to start a Cactus League game later in the month.
“This was all about getting him here and giving him a taste of this thing,” Melvin said.
Six other players were sent to minor-league camp: pitcher Mason Black was optioned, and pitchers Raymond Burgos, Miguel Del Pozo, Ethan Small, Kai-Wei Teng and Cole Waites were reassigned.