Yesterday was the last day to players to the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 Draft which goes down on the last day of the Winter Meetings. It's a happy day for players who get added and a scary one for players who get dropped into the DFA death loop. While it's not unheard of for a DFA'd player to find a better situation and thrive in it, for the vast majority, this day essentially marks the end of their hopes for a career in major league baseball. The process itself contributes to that. I'm not saying Carson Ragsdale RHP's MLB career hopes are over but bouncing around to the fringes of the system getting claimed, dropped and reclaimed harms his development.
It's way beyond the scope of this blog to review the myriads of 40-man roster adds and DFA's from yesterday but some of the recognizable names dropped include J J Bleday OF(A's), Christopher Morel OF(Rays), Jake Fraley OF(Rays), Taylor Saucedo LHP(Mariners), Jason Foley RHP(Tigers) and Ramon Urias IF(Astros). Of that group I could see the Giants being interested in Foley who earned 28 Saves with a 3.15 ERA last season and has a MLBTR Projected Salary of $3.15 M in his first season of arbitration eligibility.
The Giants did not make any moves which either means they do not see any of their Rule 5 Draft Eligible prospects worthy or protection or that they really don't want to lose anyone currently on the 40-man roster without some type of compensation. Don't forget top prospect Bryce Eldridge 1B/DH and Drew Gilbert OF were added late last season although Eldridge would not have needed protection had he not already been added. The Giants 40-man roster is full so they won't participate in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft. They have something like 25 Rule 5 Draft Eligible players in their system so are at risk for losing some of those. Off the top of my head none of those at-risk players are likely to stay on a MLB roster for a full season so are unlikely to be lost to the Giants forever. They could lose some in the minor league phase but could also select some players from other teams to help fill out minor league rosters.
Tuesday was the deadline for players to accept Qualifying Offers. Four players accepted: Trent Grisham OF(Yankees), Gleyber Torres 2B(Tigers), Shota Imanaga LHP(Cubs), Brandon Woodruff RHP(Brewers). All four play positions the Giants can use upgrades in. Nine players declined their offers: Kyle Schwarber DH(Phillies), Kyle Tucker RF(Cubs), Ranger Suarez LHP(Phillies), Framber Valdez LHP(Astros), Bo Bichette SS/2B(Blue Jays), Dylan Cease RHP(Padres), Edwin Diaz RHP(Mets), Zac Gallen RHP(D'Backs), Michael King RHP(Padres). While several of those players would look great in a Giants uniform, there are plenty of free agents who can help the Giants next season without a QO attached.
While the Giants continue to fill out their coaching staff for next season, several teams got a jump on the Hot Stove League with trades and signings:
The Angels traded Taylor Ward OF, who was an arbitration non-tender candidate, to the Orioles for Grayson Rodriguez RHP. Ward hit 36 home runs with 100 RBI's but that came with a low BA and high K rate. His MLBTR predicted arbitration salary is $13.7 M. Rodriguez was a rising star before missing the 2025 season with arm injuries and underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in the elbow. The Angels expect him to be ready for spring training. I am less sure of a pitcher returning to full strength after this surgery than with Tommy John surgery so the Angels are taking a risk here but the upside is huge. Rodriguez is still pre-arbitration.
The Astros traded Forever Giant Mauricio Dubon UT to the Braves for Nick Allen SS. Dubon is a better hitter and more versatile than Allen, but Allen is a superior defensive SS. Both players are eligible for arbitration with MLBTR projected salaries of $5.8 M for Dubon and $1.5 M for Allen.
The Braves re-signed Raisel Iglesias RHP to a 1 yr/$16 M contract. Where this move impacts the Giants is it sets the market for veteran Closers, something the Giants are in desperate need of. Iglesias was terrible for the first two months of last season but was one of the best Closers in MLB over the final 4 months. He is probably the floor of what the top available closers will get on the free agent market. When Buster Posey was asked point blank if the Giants were going to target an established Closer or leave the position open to competition, Buster said probably more the latter. Perhaps the Mark Melancon RHP experience is still fresh in his mind?
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