SF Giants protect trio of pitching prospects from Rule 5 Draft

The SF Giants have added several prospects to the 40-man roster on Tuesday, protecting them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

MLB teams needed to add prospects to their 40-man roster by 3:00 PM Pacific on Tuesday to prevent eligible players from being selected in this offseason's Rule 5 Draft. So, to avoid losing some talented players from the organization, the SF Giants added left-handed reliever Erik Miller (Giants Top 40 Prospect), right-handed pitcher Trevor McDonald (Giants Top 41 Prospect), and right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng (Giants Top 43 Prospect) to the 40-man roster. The front office opted to prioritize pitching over some intriguing young hitters.

SF Giants pitching prospect Erik Miller pitches during the 2022 MLB Futures Game / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Acquired by the Giants in a trade last offseason for Yunior Marte, Miller stayed healthy in 2023 and showcased a high-octance arsenal. There's a lot of heat that's coming out of his left arm and his fastball, slider, and changeup generated plenty of whiffs. He recorded a 2.45 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A this season, with 88 strikeouts and 45 walks in 62.1 innings pitched (54 appearances).

The Giants acquired Teng in a trade with the Minnesota Twins back in 2019, and he has quietly climbed the organization's minor-league ranks. This season, Teng was repeating the Double-A level and recorded a 4.75 ERA in 12 starts with 68 strikeouts and 20 walks in 47.1 innings pitched before he was promoted to Triple-A. While his ERA is relatively unimpressive, both FIP (3.45) and xFIP (3.35) suggested Teng was pitching better than his traditional box score numbers. His performance at Triple-A (4.22 ERA with 96 strikeouts and 48 walks in 78 innings) backed that up.

McDonald was sidelined by injuries for much of the season, but was absolutely dominant upon his return at High-A Eugene. He was named the Northwest League Pitcher of the Month in August and finished the season with a 1.33 ERA across 14 appearances (47.1 innings pitched) with 51 strikeouts and 11 walks between the Arizona Complex and High-A. He has a deep arsenal, like Teng, with even better command, and could have easily been picked and shifted to a bullpen role by another team.

The two most glaring omissions by the Giants are center fielder Grant McCray (Giants Top 12 Prospect) and shortstop Aeverson Arteaga (Giants Top 15 Prospect). While neither are close to the majors, both have enough upside that they could entice another team to try and stash them on the big-league roster next season.

McCray was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of high school and had a breakout 2022 season at Single-A San Jose. This season, McCray's production took a step back at High-A Eugene, but he still hit .255/.360/.417 with 26 doubles, 6 triples, 14 home runs, and 52 stolen bases in 127 games. McCray has an enticing collection of tools, combining solid power potential with a patient approach, elite speed, and Gold Glove potential in center field. He turns 23 in December. While McCray's bat is far from MLB ready, but his speed and defense could make him a Rule 5 candidate to be stashed as a pinch-runner/defensive replacement fifth outfielder.

Arteaga may not have the same noticeable tools as McCray, but he's a glove-first prospect who may already be a MLB-ready defender at shortstop. Arteaga only hit .235/.299/.410 with 17 home runs at High-A Eugene this season, but he posted an .805 OPS in the second half of the season and will not turn 21 until next March. Arteaga's combination of defensive upside and solid pop could allowed him to be hidden by another team as a utility infielder.

While McCray and Arteaga now seem like the most obvious SF Giants prospects at risk of being poached in the Rule 5 Draft, there are still plenty of remaining prospects who could entice another team. Relievers Nick Avila, R.J. Dabovich, Ben Madison, and Juan Sanchez alongside slugger Victor Bericoto all have track records that will certainly draw interest from other teams. Whether another organization will be interested enough to take them in the Rule 5 Draft though, remains to be seen.