SF Giants Rule 5 pick makes 2026 Opening Day roster for Boston Red Sox

Ryan Watson was among a pair of pitching prospects selected away from the SF Giants in the winter. He will remain with the Boston Red Sox for now, as he made the Opening Day roster, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.Com.

SF Giants Rule 5 pick makes 2026 Opening Day roster for Boston Red Sox

Watson was originally selected by the A’s in the Rule 5 draft. He was traded away to the Red Sox, but is still bound to the restrictions of a Rule 5 pick.

Spencer Miles was the other Giants prospect to be selected in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. The Giants also lost a handful of players in the minor league phase of this draft. In this scenario, the new team acquired their rights immediately.

The major league phase operates a little differently. The new team needs to keep the Rule 5 player on the active roster for an entire season to gain his rights. If they do not, then he will be returned to his original team. There is more nuance to the rules than that, but that is the basic summary. 

The first step for a Rule 5 pick is making the club out of spring training. Organizations will often give these players an extended look because they want to see them make the team. 

That was the case for Ryan Watson. He was originally a 39th-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 draft, but did not sign. Watson joined the Baltimore Orioles as an undrafted free agent in 2020. 

The 28-year-old hurler was picked as the Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Orioles in 2022. During that season, he pitched to a 3.44 ERA in 107.1 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. 

Watson was traded to the Giants in August of 2024. He put up respectable numbers last year, posting a 4.26 ERA with 64 strikeouts and 16 walks in 50.2 innings for the Sacramento River Cats.

In spring training, the right-handed pitcher recorded a 5.56 ERA in 11.1 frames. While the performance did not necessarily stick out, the Red Sox must have liked his stuff. He throws a mid-90’s fastball with a pair of breaking balls.

The first step for Watson was making the team. The next step is sticking throughout the year.