Former 1st-round pick among the 6 SF Giants prospects lost in MiLB phase of Rule 5 draft

The SF Giants lost six players in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. This included former first-round pick Will Wilson and 2020 second-round pick Nick Swiney.

Former 1st-round pick among the 6 SF Giants prospects lost in MiLB phase of Rule 5 draft

Wilson is heading to the Cleveland Guardians and Swiney is joining the Houston Astros organization. The Giants also lost pitcher Julio Rodriguez to the Astros, catcher Andy Thomas to the San Diego Padres, pitcher Wil Jensen to the Chicago Cubs, and outfielder Cesar Quintas to the Seattle Mariners.

The minor league phase does not have the same rules as the major league portion. By the way, the major league portion came and went without the Giants making a pick. Their 40-man roster was full, so they were not eligible. They did not lose anyone either.

Teams protect a number of players from the minor league portion. Those left unprotected can be added by another team as was the case on Wendesday.

Wilson and Swiney are the most notable names from the bunch. The Giants acquired Wilson in a trade for Zack Cozart with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019. Cozart had one year remaining on a three-year, $38 million pact. The Giants assumed the remainder of the contract and received Wilson as part of the package.

Wilson hit well in the lower minors but often struggled against more advanced pitching. In the past couple of seasons, he was shuttled between Double-A and Triple-A depending on need. There was a brief time in 2022 where the Giants ran out of shortstop depth. Had Wilson not been on the injured list at that time, there is a good chance he would have gotten the call.

On the other hand, Swiney was drafted in the second round as a compensatory pick that the club received when Madison Bumgarner signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He came up as a starter but shifted to the bullpen due to below-average command. The lefty pitcher posted a 5.25 ERA with 79 strikeouts against 33 walks in 72 innings with the Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2025.

Wil Jensen was added as a non-drafted free agent in 2020. At the time, he was considered one of the better undrafted players following a pandemic-shortened draft. He has generally posted solid marks in the minors, including a 3.35 ERA in four seasons. The 27-year-old pitcher has a four-pitch mix that features a low 90's fastball and a quality slider. He does not overpower with stuff but knows how to use his arsenal to get outs.

The Giants did add a couple of prospects as well. They selected pitchers C.J. Widger from the San Diego Padres and Sadrac Franco from the Detroit Tigers. Widger is the son of former major league catcher Chris Widger, whereas Franco has pitched primarily in the lower minors.