SF Giants add 2 prospects, lose 3 in minor league portion of Rule 5 draft

The Rule 5 draft usually marks the unofficial end of the Winter Meetings. On the minor league side, the SF Giants added Nick Garcia and Dariel Lopez from the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively. They lost Hayden Cantrelle (Cubs), Sean Roby (Marlins), and P.J. Hilson (Guardians).

SF Giants add 2 prospects, lose 3 in minor league portion of Rule 5 draft

The major league portion of the Rule 5 draft came and went on Wednesday as well. The Giants passed on making a selection and the organization did not lose any prospects. There were concerns as to whether they might lose R.J. Dabovich, Aeverson Arteaga, or Grant McCray. That did not come to fruition.

The minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft rarely impacts the major league roster. More often than not, it is an opportunity to bolster areas of the organization where they are light. Similar to the major league side of it, teams must protect eligible prospects from the minor league side. Those who are left unprotected can be selected.

The Giants added a couple of intriguing names in Garcia and Lopez. Garcia is local to the Bay Area. He was born in Redwood City and attended Serra High School before going to Chapman University for college. The Rockies selected him in the third round of the 2020 draft.

Across three minor league seasons, the pitching prospect has posted a 5.04 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 8.8 K/9, and a 2.31 SO/W ratio. Garcia has never pitched above Double-A but struggled with a 7.35 ERA in 26 outings at that level in 2023.

On the other hand, Lopez is a bit on the younger side. The 21-year-old infielder missed the entire 2023 campaign after dislocating his knee during an offseason workout. In three minor league seasons, he tallied a .285/.348/.445 OPS with a 7.4 percent walk rate against a 23.4 percent strikeout rate.

Lopez has flashed some intriguing power as he blasted 19 home runs during his age-20 season at High-A in 2022. He has experience at shortstop and second base but is better suited at the corners.

The Giants did lose three prospects as well. Sean Roby has flashed quality power at every level he has played. Hayden Cantrelle can play anywhere in the field and offers competitive at-bats at the plate. Lastly, P.J. Hilson is more on the raw side, but has quality tools across the board. He began to see some success as a pro in 2023.