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SF Giants make first round of cuts, send 12 players to minor-league camp

The SF Giants removed a dozen players from their MLB spring training roster on Sunday, including one of the team's top 30 prospects.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants make first round of cuts, send 12 players to minor-league camp
SF Giants make first round of cuts, send 12 players to minor-league camp

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants took their first step toward finalizing an Opening Day roster on Sunday, cutting 12 players from the big-league spring training roster. 11 of the dozen players were reassigned to minor-league camp while Randy Rodríguez (Giants #25 prospect) was optioned. There is no material difference between getting optioned or reassigned. Rodriguez is optioned instead of reassigned because he is on the team's 40-man roster.

The Giants reassigned infielder Donovan Walton, third baseman Colton Welker, first baseman Brady Whalen, left-handed pitcher Daniel Tillo, catcher Andy Thomas, right-handed pitcher Drew Strotman, right-handed pitcher Joe Ross, right-handed pitcher Ljay Nwsome, left-handed pitcher Sean Newcomb, catcher Brett Cumberland, and left-handed pitcher Darien Núñez.

Infielder Donovan Walton is probably the most familiar name from the group amongst Giants fans. Walton was acquired in an ill-fated trade last season. His reassignment is not surprising since he has been unable to appear in a game while rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery.

Ross and Newcomb easily have the most big-league experience among the players sent to minor-league camp. Ross, a 2011 first-round pick by the Padres, appeared in six MLB seasons with the Nationals. Newcomb has pitched in each of the past six MLB seasons, posting a 4.52 ERA in 406 innings pitched. They will both likely start the season on the Sacramento River Cats pitching staff.

Núñez, Newsome, and Welker are the only remaining players in the group to have previously reached the majors. All three had short big-league stints from 2020-2021.

Thomas, acquired in a trade last July, was a late addition to the Giants MLB camp roster. A fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft by the Mariners, he had some promising flashes in his first full pro season, hitting .238/.373/.381 at High-A.

The Giants claimed Strotman off waivers this offseason before non-tendering him and re-signing him to a minor-league deal. A former fourth-round pick, Strotman was a well-regarded prospect in the lower minors but plateaued as he approached the majors.

Cumberland, Whalen, and Tillo are all career minor leaguers in their mid-twenties with varying statistical track records. They project to be depth pieces in the upper minors this season.

Rodríguez flashed one of the best combinations of stuff and command in the Giants farm system in 2021, flashing a high-90s fastball, plus slider, and intriguing changeup. However, a move to the rotation led him to take a step back last season. Ultimately, the Giants player development staff moved Rodríguez back to the bullpen where he began to regain his form. Already on the 40-man roster, he could very easily pitch his way to the majors this season.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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