Former first-round pick among flurry of SF Giants minor leaguers to elect free agency

A former SF Giants first-round pick is now free to join any team. According to the team's transaction log, Hunter Bishop was among the minor leaguers to elect free agency.

Former first-round pick among flurry of SF Giants minor leaguers to elect free agency

Elect is the term baseball uses, but it is not a discretionary decision. It simply means that a player's contract has expired.

If a player has six years of minor league service time and they are not on the 40-man roster, then they are eligible for free agency. This is true for any player drafted in the 2019 draft class. Players who joined the organization on minor league deals typically do so on one-year contracts, so they are also eligible to elect free agency.

Bishop was joined by Alexander Suarez, Josh Wolf, Chris Wright, Sandrc Franco, Juan Mercedes, Cole Waites, Sean Hjelle, Sam Huff, Max Stassi, Ethan Small, Drew Ellis, Miguel Díaz, and Helcris Olivárez.

There were some names in that group who appeared for the Giants in 2025. This includes Hjelle and Huff. Hjelle posted a 7.80 ERA before clearing waivers and returning to Sacramento. Huff tallied a .598 OPS in 58 appearances before clearing waivers.

There are some other notable names, including Stassi, Waites, and Small. Stassi joined the Giants on a minor league deal last winter. This included a camp invite. He did not make the club, and spent most of the season on the injured list with the Sacramento River Cats.

Waites and Small spent considerable time on the injured list this year as well. Both made it back to Sacramento before the season concluded. Waites collected 3.2 scoreless frames with the River Cats, whereas Small yielded five earned runs in 6.1 innings.

In particular, Waites is an intriguing arm, and it would be worth it for the Giants to bring him back. However, minor leaguers often go where they have the best chance for an opportunity.

Hunter Bishop battled a lot of injuries earlier in his pro career, but has stayed on the field over the past two seasons. With Sacramento, he posted a .722 OPS with seven home runs, 48 RBI, and 46 runs in 356 plate appearances in 2025. Power was the standout tool when he was drafted, but that ability was not quite the same after major shoulder and elbow injuries.

Chris Wright was the other member of the 2019 Giants draft class to reach free agency. The door is beginning to close on that draft for San Francisco. Tyler Fitzgerald, Grant McCray, and Trevor McDonald are the remaining members.