Three prospects the SF Giants could lose in the Rule 5 draft

The Rule 5 draft is almost here. In a bit of a surprise, the SF Giants did not protect any prospects by adding them to the 40-man roster this time around. Will Bednar, Nate Furman, and Reggie Crawford are all candidates to be selected.

Three prospects the SF Giants could lose in the Rule 5 draft

Teams must have an opening on the 40-man roster to participate. Even those that do have an opening may choose not to participate.

The Giants could be one of those teams that will partake after they lost Marco Luciano on a waiver claim to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their 40-man roster now stands at 39.

Over the past few years, the Rule 5 draft has ranged from 15 to 20 selections. The success rate on these picks tends to be low. For example, there were 15 players selected last year, and 10 of them were returned by the original team. Players selected in the Rule 5 draft not only need to make the team out of camp, but they need to perform well enough to stick on the roster for the entire season.

So, while the Giants did not protect anyone this time around, the odds of a prospect being drafted away are low. And, the odds of them losing the rights to that player are even lower.

1. Will Bednar

No one had a slam-dunk case among Giants prospects to be protected, but Will Bednar had arguably the best case. The former first-round pick is exactly the type of player teams like to target in the Rule 5 channel.

Bednar throws a fastball that reaches in the upper 90's, along with a gyro slider that sits in the low 80's. Both pitchees are above-average offerings, and he gets hitters to whiff at a high rate. However, the control leaves something to be desired. Bednar tallies a lot of strikeouts and walks. That combination can work as a reliever, and he has the profile that should be attractive to teams.

2. Nate Furman

Nate Furman came over in the trade that sent Alex Cobb to the Cleveland Guardians in 2024. However, he did not make his organizational debut until midway through this season. The left-handed bat slashed .369/.493/.607 with seven home runs, 31 runs, and 22 runs in 154 plate appearances split across four levels.

Furman does not hit with much power, but he will grind out at-bats and put the ball in play. Those skills should appeal to the Giants' front office. Furman primarily plays second base, and does not have the arm for the left side of the infield. The 24-year-old hitters has limited success in Double-A, so that could give some teams pause.

3. Reggie Crawford

Reggie Crawford would be a fascinating draft-and-stash player in the Rule 5 draft. He underwent a second shoulder procedure that will likely keep him off the mound until next summer.

The southpaw pitcher has a fastball that reaches the upper 90's with ease. It has plenty of carry and ride through the zone. He mixes in a wipeout slider that also grades out as an above-average pitch. Crawford has only completed 37.1 frames since being selected in the first round of the 2022 draft. The upside is a promising arm with a first-round pedigree. The downside is that the injured list is not available during the offseason, so if drafted, Crawford would occupy a spot on the 40-man roster until that lever opens up.