The Giants added four prospects to their 40-man roster ahead of Friday’s deadline, shielding them from the Rule 5 Draft next month.

Outfielder Alexander Canario (the Giants’ No. 7 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline), and right-handers Gregory Santos (No. 17), Camilo Doval (No. 25) and Kervin Castro earned coveted roster spots, while former first-round Draft pick Chris Shaw, catcher Aramis Garcia and right-hander Jordan Humphreys were designated for assignment, leaving the Giants’ 40-man roster at 40.

• Giants' Top 30 Prospects list

Canario is the most highly touted player in the group, though he encountered a setback after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder this month. The 20-year-old Dominican is expected to miss the start of the Minor League season while rehabbing, but the Giants felt his upside was too great to risk losing him to another club in the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place on Dec. 10.

Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $60,000 in 2016, Canario hit .318/.377/.623 with 16 home runs in 59 games between the Arizona Rookie League and Class A Short Season Salem-Keizer in 2019. He was added to the Giants’ 60-man player pool this summer and continued to impress before dislocating his shoulder during instructional league action this fall.

Santos, 21, was acquired from the Red Sox in the 2017 Eduardo Núñez trade, along with fellow right-hander Shaun Anderson. He logged a 2.86 ERA over eight starts for Class A Augusta in 2019, though he missed the bulk of the season while dealing with a shoulder injury.

Doval, 23, is the closest to the Majors, as he appeared to be on the verge of a callup after the Giants added him to their taxi squad in September. The hard-throwing reliever posted a 3.83 ERA over 56 1/3 innings at Class A Advanced San Jose in 2019 and could receive the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Giants’ Opening Day bullpen during Spring Training.

Castro isn’t ranked among the Giants’ Top 30 Prospects, but he’s a converted catcher who has developed into an intriguing pitching prospect over the last couple of years. The 21-year-old Venezuelan recorded a 2.66 ERA over 14 starts at Salem-Keizer in 2019 and is known for his pinpoint command.

The Giants’ decision to part with Shaw, who was drafted with the 31st overall pick in 2015, didn’t come as much of a surprise, as the club left the 27-year-old first baseman/outfielder off the 60-man player pool for most of the summer. He appeared in 38 games with the Giants from 2018-19, batting .153 with one home run, but it was clear that his stock fell with the arrival of the new regime headed by president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.

Garcia, a second-round Draft pick in 2014, missed the entire 2020 season while rehabbing from hip surgery and slipped behind Buster Posey, Joey Bart and Chadwick Tromp on the Giants’ depth chart at catcher. The 27-year-old could be a candidate to return to the organization on a Minor League deal, though he might prefer to sign with a team that could offer a clearer path to the Majors. Humphreys, 24, was acquired from the Mets in exchange for Billy Hamilton in August, though he was immediately placed on the restricted list and did not make any appearances for the club.

Right-hander Tyler Cyr and catcher Ricardo Genoves were among the most notable Giants prospects left exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Genoves hasn’t played above Class A Augusta, but Cyr could prove attractive to teams in search of relief options, as he posted a 1.97 ERA in 38 appearances between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento in 2019.

The Giants have picked up three players in the Rule 5 Draft under Zaidi, though none of their selections have ended up sticking on their roster. Last year, the Giants poached right-hander Dany Jiménez from the Blue Jays, but he was returned to Toronto after posting a 6.75 ERA in two appearances.