The Padres announced they’ve claimed middle infielder Tucupita Marcano off waivers from the Pirates. San Diego also announced that catcher Chandler Seagle and reliever Drew Carlton cleared waivers and were outrighted from the 40-man roster.
Marcano, 24, returns to his original organization. He signed with the Padres as an amateur out of Venezuela in 2016. The left-handed hitter developed into a mid-level prospect and made his MLB debut with San Diego in 2021. Marcano appeared in 25 games before being dealt to Pittsburgh as part of the return for second baseman Adam Frazier.
The Bucs have gotten Marcano into 124 games over the past two seasons. He hasn’t made much of an impact, hitting .221/.267/.334 in 397 trips to the plate. Marcano has demonstrated strong contact skills but without a ton of power, connecting on only five home runs. He hasn’t taken many walks either, leading to the middling offensive numbers.
Marcano’s tenure with the Pirates came to an unceremonious end in August, ironically against the Padres. While running the bases, he tore the ACL in his right knee in an attempt to avoid a tag at third base. That required season-ending surgery. Given the general recovery timeline for ACL injuries, it seems likely he’ll begin next year on the injured list.
Should the Friars keep Marcano on the 40-man roster all winter, he’ll offer multi-positional depth. Marcano can play either middle infield spot, although public defensive marks suggest he’s better suited for second base. He has some corner outfield experience as well. Marcano has one minor league option remaining and is still at least a season away from arbitration eligibility.
The other two players are unsurprising cuts as San Diego clears 40-man space to open the offseason. Carlton, a 28-year-old righty, pitched to a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings after signing an offseason minor league deal. He briefly appeared at the MLB level with the Tigers between 2021-22 and turned in a 3.00 ERA in 15 Triple-A appearances. His season was unfortunately cut short by elbow inflammation, which sent him to the injured list on July 1.
Seagle is a former 30th-round draftee who received a big league call in the season’s final weekend. He got one at-bat after combining for a .209/.261/.296 line between the top two levels of the minor leagues. Both he and Carlton will be eligible for minor league free agency.
Marcano has potential but strikes out too often and doesn’t draw enough walks and needs a hitting instructor not named Andy Haines to be a more effective player
“He strikes out too often” Not striking out is one of Marcano’s biggest strengths. He had just a 15.9% K-rate last year, lower than Corey Seager and Freddie Freeman. His knee is probably just too torn up at this point. That was a rough injury he underwent.
Also, Andy Haines is not to blame for every player who doesn’t hit well for the Pirates. Marcano’s hitting coach could be Ted Williams, and I don’t think he would still figure it out. He just doesn’t have any power, and usually those kind of players have a low floor for their hitting,
Tucapita’s biggest issue has been being a worm killer, his GB rate was way too high. That has improved each of the last 3 seasons. He doesn’t have much power, but enough to consistently put up a .700 OPS. I think he will get there this season.
Maybe, hopefully for him, his knee has healed right. That could honestly be the reason the Pirates let him go on waviers.
I know you didn’t look at a single thing about Marcano, because he had a 15.9% strikeout rate last year. It was literally the one thing he was good at doing last year, avoiding the K. For someone who seems to hate Andy Haines’ guts, you seem to not be able to go a single Pirates post without mentioning him.
Fire Haines. Get a coach who can get Marcano under 10 percent.
I agree with the first sentiment.
Marcano should have been hitting as many home runs as Suwinski.
And it’s my First Amendment right to post whatever opinion I want, Fab
Just like it’s yours to ridicule mine
Let the Waivers carousel begin!
Hot potato!
Okay my shortstop jokes are getting tiresome, but I don’t think the Padres got the memo.
Welcome back!
Least it partially undoes that god-awful trade.
Never really got the Adam Frazier trade for the Padres. Another 2B/utility man when they already had like three of those in Profar, Cronenworth, and Kim, and at the time, CJ Abrams coming up. The Padres had other issues that wasn’t second base or left field.
To be fair, I believe he was leading the NL in hits when the dads traded for him. But I agree they had other glaring needs at that time.
Yeah, Frazier was doing good at the time, but it was clear his first half was not sustainable. He was even starting to decline back to his norms in July.
Was playing over his head in the first half, came crashing back down to Earth once he came over to San Diego, never filled a need on the Padres roster to begin with and pushed the Padres over the luxury tax threshold. That trade made the Padres worse even if they had only given the Pirates cash considerations in the amount of $1. Jack Suwinski becoming something is just the icing on the cake.
Another 2B/utility man when they already had like three of those in Profar, Cronenworth, and Kim,
===========================
As I always say, it isn’t so much that Preller can’t spot talent, it is just that he adds payroll with every single move.
I heard he’s more of a poet than a mathematician.
/s
Tatis Jr was out. Can’t remember why he was out but he was. Padres got Frazer to mix and match position flexibility.
Profar was playing LF and had never done well defensively at 2B.
Kim was a rookie and batted a 72 OPS+ that year. He was more of a utility guy in 2021 than what he is now. Think he replaced tatis jr as ss.
Cronenworth was the 2B but once Tatis Jr went down it became more of a need to have guys that could play multiple positions to match up better in platoons.
Abrams just cracked aa in 2021
I still rank that as the worst trade the Pads have made in the last few years. Not because of what they gave up, but for what need the didnt fill.
Looking only at trades made after the pandemic transactions freeze was lifted, the Soto trade was the worst, then Clevinger and Frazier were 2A and 2B, then the Nola trade.
Munoz, Brash, and France for Austin Nola is brutal.
Now that you both mention it the Nola trade was worse, but only as it turned out. They did need a catcher.
But they definitely didn’t need a weak bat 2b (Frazier) relegated to the OF at a time when they needed RP and slug.
The Soto trade hasn’t played out so can’t agree ( yet )
@BrianStrowman9 Matt Brash wasn’t in the Nola trade.
I have the Frazier and Clevinger trades below the Nola trade because Nola was actually decent for the Padres in 2020-22 whereas Clevinger and Frazier actually made the Padres worse. They could have just released all the players in those 2 trades and they’d have been better in 2021-22 than they were in OTL. Plus, Ty France has regressed and Andres Muñoz can’t stay healthy.
If the Padres don’t win the 2024 WS the Soto trade is the worst trade of the entire Preller era.
Didn’t know he was on waivers.
Cool so they just get him back. It was strange to see Carlton outrighted.
I’m glad he cleared!
…buuuut he’s eligible for MiLB FA
Marcano looked decent to start the year. He was batting .270 with a .785 OPS through the first week of June. I don’t know if the 7-91 slump was a precursor to him blowing his knee out, but he suffered one of those injuries that makes you wonder if it’ll zap the power and speed he was building up.
Not sure exactly how a slump acts as a precursor to blowing out the ACL but you’re right in the first portion. He was a pleasant surprise early on. But like Cruz’s slide into home, jeez, the “slide” that caused this injury looked like something you would see in the lowest levels of organized baseball. And you may remember a late season slide Peguero made in which his cleats caught in the ground and he limped away with a hole in his pants. Still amazed he didn’t tear anything. Guess I’m old school, but you can win games with heads up baserunning and lose them, conversely
It’s going to be interesting to see how Cruz evolves at SS and if Marcano’s departure will be the first of a couple moves to thin the logjam in middle infield, especially with Termarr on the way
As for Marcano, modern medical and physical therapy practices are amazing. I’m sure it’ll be awhile, but there’s no reason he can’t return to form
Precursor as in his knee was bothering him before it completley gave out.
Baloney. If you saw the “slide” then you’d assume no “precursor” was necessary. I’m guessing you’ve never had a torn ACL or dealt with ball players who tear them in games or practices
Sheesh. What a ridiculous comment
Yes, I saw the slide. Yes, I know what an all tear is. All I was saying that he started to struggle in the weeks leading up to it. Ballplayers try and play through stuff all the time. It was just a theory, no need to get mad over it.
Not mad, but equating a batting slump with a knee problem is a real stretch. Tell me he misplayed some routine ground balls, looked awkward running the bases…ok.
I mean, he definitley made some misplays at shortstop.
I was at that game in person and yeah it was a pretty bad slide. No reason to believe the knee was already bothering him.
I don’t know if I would have put Tuc on waviers before Vinny Capra, but is what it is.
MLB- The next wave will be Vinny,Bido,and Hatch to get the three players onto the roster from the 60 day IL.
The TUUUUUUC is coming home!!
Welcome back 2cups
I originally thought that they would keep Marciano but then realized that he was the one to be dropped along with Cutch,Velasquez,and Garcia when he came back onto the roster.
I think he may become a good utility man but they will run out of room after the next wave of three roster player releases.
Welcome home Tucapita. Hope to see you continue to develop in 2024.
This could have gone in any number of articles, but wow a large number of players the Pirates waived were picked up by other teams.