Former top pick headlines first round of cuts in SF Giants camp

On Thursday, the SF Giants made their first round of cuts, headlined by Will Bednar. The former top pick was reassigned to minor league camp, along with Trent Harris, Bo Davidson, and Diego Cartaya, per Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News.

Former top pick headlines first round of cuts in SF Giants camp

Reassigning a player to minor league camp is slightly different than optioning a player. The end result is the same. Reassigning is the term used for non-roster players in camp, whereas optioning a player is designated for those on the 40-man roster.

All 40 players on the 40-man roster are still in Giants camp. In fact, Thursday’s transaction marked the first round of cuts by the club this spring. Opening Day is less than two weeks away, so the Giants will need to make a lot more roster cuts. 

Will Bednar was arguably the most notable roster cut this spring. The Giants entered camp with an open competition for the bullpen. 

Any non-roster reliever had a chance at making the club if they threw well in the Cactus League. That remains true. Caleb Kilian, Gregory Santos, and Michael Fulmer are all making a bid as non-roster invitees to earn a spot in the bullpen.

Bednar allowed only one earned run across four innings this spring, but with four walks and three strikeouts. Stuff has not been an issue for him, but the control remains a work in progress. Bednar will likely begin the season in Triple-A and could be an option for the Giants if he performs well.

Bo Davidson was another notable roster cut. The chances of him making the team were low, but he is on the Giants’ radar. The left-handed bat tallied three hits in 14 at-bats.

Davidson finished last season in the Eastern League, where he posted a respectable .713 OPS with eight home runs and 14 RBI in 187 plate appearances. That league has proven to be a good litmus test for Giants prospects, and he did more than tread water. The Giants will need to work through some of their outfield depth in the upper minors before Davidson becomes an option, but he will be a prospect to follow in 2026.

Trent Harris allowed five earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. He will likely return to Triple-A. Diego Cartaya received six sporadic plate appearances.