3 SF Giants players on the 40-man roster who are out of minor league options

3 SF Giants players on the 40-man roster who are out of minor league options

2. David Villar

There was a brief period when David Villar seemed to be slugging his way into the Giants’ long-term plans, but now it would be something of a long shot for him to break camp with the club. The corner infielder has hit 15 bombs in his 109 games with the team dating back to 2022, but the vast majority of his good production came in his rookie 2022 season.

Since then, he has hit only .170/.243/.346 in 57 big-league games, and even his numbers were a long way away from his career highs in Sacramento. Villar is no longer on the younger side at 28, and without any minor league options remaining, it’s unlikely any team would be willing to commit an MLB roster spot to him at this point. Most likely, he will clear waivers and be outrighted back to Sacramento if he fails to win a job as Matt Chapman’s backup out of spring.

3. Sam Huff

Sam Huff is probably the second-most likely in-house candidate to be Patrick Bailey’s backup, behind veteran Tom Murphy. Huff is quite a bit younger than Murphy but no less challenging to project. He is a bat-first option similar to Murphy, but that’s not necessarily a problem considering Bailey is so advanced behind the plate. Both Huff and Murphy hit from the right side, so either player is a natural platoon complement to Bailey.

Having just turned 27 last month, Huff has hit .258/.313/.455 in 78 career games, but he has never been someone the Rangers gave much leeway at the major league level, probably because of his limited defensive skillset. In 249 career AAA games his .265/.343/.489 line is reasonably impressive for a catcher, but with Murphy already having a guaranteed deal, Huff would have to have a big showing this spring to crack the roster. The Giants are likely not ruling that out from happening after bringing in an out-of-options Huff to the mix.

Note: Heliot Ramos is also out of options but not at risk of losing a roster spot. He enters spring training penciled in as the everyday left fielder. Joey Lucchesi is also out of options but is joining the Giants as a non-roster invitee. If he does not make the club, he could join the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.