Giants' roster unchanged ahead of Rule 5 Draft
SAN FRANCISCO -- Wednesday’s deadline to shield players from next month’s Rule 5 Draft passed without any activity from the Giants.
With their 40-man roster already at capacity, the Giants opted not to extend Rule 5 Draft protection to any of their prospects. Outfielders Sandro Fabian (No. 16) and Franklin Labour (No. 20), catcher Ricardo Genoves (No. 22) and left-hander Garrett Williams (No. 28) are among the Giants prospects who are now eligible to be selected by another team during the Dec. 12 Rule 5 Draft, though none of them have played above Double-A.
Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons. Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
If a player is selected in the Rule 5 Draft, he must stick with his new club’s Major League roster for the full 2020 season or be offered back to his former team for $50,000.
The Giants were particularly active in the Major League phase of last year’s Rule 5 Draft, selecting left-hander Travis Bergen from the Blue Jays and outfielder Drew Ferguson from the Astros. Bergen earned a spot on the Giants’ Opening Day roster as a reliever, but he endured a significant setback after spending nearly three months on the injured list with a left shoulder strain. He was designated for assignment in August and returned to the Blue Jays after clearing waivers.
Ferguson did not make the team out of Spring Training and was returned to the Astros in March.