Power-hitting Rule 5 pick among prospects released by SF Giants

As is often the case around this time of year, teams needs to trim roster headcount in the minors. For the SF Giants, they recently released seven prospects with former Rule 5 pick Dariel Lopez included in that group, per the team's transaction log.

Power-hitting Rule 5 pick among prospects released by SF Giants

The Giants also released a pair of pitchers in Mikell Manzano and Wilkelma Castillo as well as outfielder Estanlin Cassiani from Eugene's roster.

Lastly, Eliam Sandoval, Samuel Reyes, and Carlos Molina were released by the Arizona Comlex League affiliate.

Despite never making an appearance with the Giants, Lopez is the most notable name from this group. He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of the Dominican Republic in 2018.

The right-handed bat saw some success in the lower minors. He slashed .286/.329/.476 (116 wRC+) with 19 home runs, 58 RBI and 58 runs in 420 High-A plate appearances in 2022.

Up until this point, Lopez has not made another appearance in affiliated ball. He missed the 2023 season after suffering a knee injury. Despite this, the Giants selected him along with pitcher Nick Garcia in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.

Teams do not generally find much value in either phase of the Rule 5 draft, but this felt like an solid class for the Giants. Lopez flashed some power as a young infielder, whereas Garcia had a track record of success in the lower minors.

Despite this, Lopez never appeared with the Giants. He was placed on the minor league 60-day injured list and remained there for the entire season.

In addition, the Giants released a trio of players from their High-A roster. This includes Mikell Manzano, Wilkelma Castillo, and Estanlin Cassiani. Manzano had a solid year on the mound, posting a 3.99 ERA in 18 outings across three levels. He was originally signed out of Venezuela in 2019.

Castillo pitched to a 6.31 ERA in 25 appearances split across two affiliates, including High-A, last season. On the other hand, Cassiani posted a .536 OPS in 253 plate appearances for the San Jose Giants. Both players were signed out of Venezuela during the 2018 international free agent cycle.