SF Giants release a handful of minor leaguers, headlined by 2 former 2nd-round picks

The SF Giants released a handful of minor leaguers this week. A pair of former second-round picks in Jimmy Glowenke and Matt Mikulski were included in that group, per the team's transaction log.

SF Giants release a handful of minor leaguers, headlined by 2 former 2nd-round picks

The Giants also let go of a trio of pitchers in Michael Rodriguez, Luis Bermudez, and Christian Avendano from the Arizona Complex League roster. Mikulski was released along with pitcher Brett Standlee from the Eugene Emeralds roster.

Kanoa Pagan, Timmy Manning, and Nadir Lewis were released from the San Jose Giants roster. Lastly, Andrew Kachel and Hunter Dula, along with Glowenke, were released from the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

The start of the season can be a tough time for minor leaguers, as teams look to create space for the most recent draft class. With minor league headcount being reduced to 165 players, there are just not many spots available.

The Giants were hoping for the 2020 draft to be a big one due in part to receiving two compensatory picks. They received one apiece when Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves, respectively.

The Giants used Bumgarner's pick to select lefty pitcher Nick Swiney. Swiney was plucked by the Houston Astros in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft during the offseason.

The pick they received for Smith was used to draft Glowenke. At the time, the right-handed bat was known for his hit tool and contact skills, but he did add a tad more power as he moved up the minors.

Overall, he registered a .235/.338/.396 line with a 9.9 percent walk rate, 23.5 percent strikeout rate, and .161 ISO in the minors. He did have a promising 2023 campaign where he posted a .798 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in 394 plate appearances split across two levels. He followed that up with a .609 OPS in 392 plate appearances with the Richmond Flying Squirrels last season.

On the other hand, the Giants drafted lefty pitcher Matt Mikulski in the second round of the 2021 draft. It was the first of two straight drafts where the Giants leaned heavily on pitchers in the higher rounds.

They drafted Will Bednar in the first round that year, followed by Mikulski. Mikulski flashed a high-90's fastball with two breaking balls in college, but his fastball velocity sat much lower in pro ball. He also battled control problems in the lower minors. Overall, he tallied a 6.38 ERA across four minor league seasons.