Only 3 SF Giants players remain from the 2018 draft class after corner infielder reaches free agency

David Villar's time with the SF Giants is officially over, as he cleared waivers and elected free agency. Only three players remain for the 2018 draft class, including Sean Hjelle, Keaton Winn, and Ryan Walker.

Only 3 SF Giants players remain from the 2018 draft class after corner infielder reaches free agency

Players from the 2018 draft class reached six years of service time after last season, thereby becoming free agents. This included Blake Rivera and Matt Frisbee.

Rivera spent the entire 2024 campaign on the injured list and has not signed with a new club. On the other hand, Frisbee is currently throwing for the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League.

The Giants lost 98 games in a brutal 2017 season. While there was hardly any silver lining to this, they did get to pick near the top of every round in the 2018 draft. With the second overall pick, they selected Joey Bart. The biggest mistake they made with Bart was promoting him to the major league roster well before he was ready.

David Villar had some good moments with the Giants in 2022. He entered the 2023 season as the everyday third baseman, but was quickly supplanted by J.D. Davis. Villar was lightly used in the majors after that. He cleared waivers at the start of the season, but the Giants added him back once Casey Schmitt landed on the injured list.

The right-handed bat recorded just four hits in 20 at-bats before the Giants placed him on waivers again earlier this week. Villar cleared waivers for a second time and had a chance to elect free agency instead of a minor league assignment.

The move leaves only three players remaining from the 2018 draft class. Ryan Walker is arguably the best Giants player remaining from that class. He is still the team's closer, even as he has hit a rough patch that relievers often go through.

Sean Hjelle had a promising 2024 season, but he has spent the entire 2025 season with the Sacramento River Cats. He has a 3.33 ERA across 24.1 frames this year, and should be able to help the Giants bullpen later in the year.

Keaton Winn had some promising moments, but he has struggled to stay on the mound. He relies heavily on an above-average splitter, but that pitch tends to be pretty tough on the arm, too. Winn has not pitched since April 15, and could be a candidate for the 60-day injured list if he does not return soon.