SF Giants option 4 including former top pitching prospect

With spring training less than two weeks away, the SF Giants have to aggressively trim down the camp roster. After a handful of games, they announced a series of cuts including a former top pitching prospect.

SF Giants option 4 including former top pitching prospect

Gregory Santos, Jaylin Davis, Randy Rodriguez, and Yunior Marte were all optioned to Triple-A on Friday, per the team's transaction log. There were several other players reassigned according to Maria Guardado of MLB.Com:

Pitcher Cody Carroll, infielder Wyatt Mathisen, and outfielder Ka'ai Tom were also reassigned. It was a busy day for the Giants, but the biggest impact to the Opening Day roster was the decision to option Santos, Davis, Rodriguez, and Marte. None of the four were likely to break camp with the club, but each one is currently on the 40-man roster.

Santos has been one of the top pitching prospects in the organization since being acquired in a trade that sent Eduardo Núñez to the Boston Red Sox midway through the 2017 season. However, the 22-year-old pitcher has struggled to stay on the field due to shoulder issues and an 80-game PED suspension that was levied in 2021.

Nevertheless, the right-handed hurler has a lot of potential as he flashes a high-90's fastball that he pairs with one of the best sliders in the organization. Santos originally came up as a starter, but he is likely better suited for the bullpen at this point in his career. He did not appear in a game this spring.

A little further behind on the prospect chart is Davis. The power-hitting outfielder has appeared in parts of the last three seasons with the Giants, but he struggled to make consistent contact and stay on the field. He recorded just one hit with five strikeouts in seven plate appearances during the Cactus League.

With how the front office uses every spot on the 40-man roster, Giants fans will likely see Rodriguez and Marte at some point this summer. They were both added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, but both could use more seasoning in the minors. Rodriguez did not make an appearance during the Cactus League, whereas Marte allowed one earned run in one inning.

The Giants now have 36 players in camp who are on the 40-man roster. Given that the active roster is expanding to 28 in April, the Giants will still need to trim eight players from the roster before Opening Day.