Giants add Tyler Beede, three others to 40-man roster

The Giants have solidified their 40-man roster ahead of December’s Rule 5 Draft, adding catcher Aramis Garcia, right-handed starter Tyler Beede, right-handed starter Tyler Herb, and left-handed reliever D.J. Snelten to the roster*.

To make room for these players, the team designated Engelb Vielma, Micah Johnson, and Orlando Calixte for assignment. Vielma has already been claimed off waivers by the Phillies. Dan Slania was also removed from the roster

The most relevant news for you, dear Giants fan, might have to do with the players who have now been exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. But we’ll start with the players who were added.

Beede is the Giants’ first-round pick from the 2014 draft, and he’s steadily moving through the minor leagues, albeit not quite as quickly as they might have hoped. If not for a late-season groin sproing, he probably would have been added to the roster already for a September cup of coffee. If he doesn’t appear for the Giants in 2018, it’s either because something horrible has happened or because we’re too busy enjoying Giancarlo Stanton’s beefy big boy bombs to notice.

Garcia was the second-rounder from that same draft, and his progress has been delayed because of a broken face, which is extremely promising for his future as a Good Giant. He got his sea legs back in San Jose, posting a .497 slugging percentage to make up for his .314 OBP, and did well in a late trial in Double-A. While it’s not likely that you’ll see him in 2018 (his defense behind the plate is still rough, by most accounts), it’s a heckuva lot more likely now that he’s on the 40-man roster.

Herb was the player to be named later in the Chris Heston deal, though technically he was acquired from the Mariners for cash. His career ERA is 3.92, though if you include his unearned runs, he posted a 4.20 RAvg in Double-A, but why would I include that? That would be a strange non-sequitur. Anyway, Herb has had success with his sinker as both a starter and a reliever, and although he’ll be 26 before next season, his proximity to the majors gives him a chance to appear as a spot starter next year.

Snelten was probably the pitcher most likely to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft, a LOOGY who had success in both Double- and Triple-A this year. I’m not entirely sure why the Giants didn’t give him a look in September if they were planning to add him to the roster anyway, but it would be a minor upset if he didn’t appear in a game in the majors next year.

Vielma and Johnson were both claimed off waivers earlier this year, and there’s a chance the Giants could re-sign Johnson to a minor-league deal if he clears waivers. The same is true for Calixte, who appeared in 29 games for the Giants and was tied for the team lead in home runs, with zero.

More important? The players who weren’t protected, such as ...

• Rodolfo Martinez
• Dusten Knight
• Sam Coonrod
• Jonah Arenado
• and others

The player I most expect to be taken would be right-handed submariner Tyler Rogers, who will be selected in the Rule 5 by the Twins. This is partially because he’s an effective, funky reliever with a low strikeout rate, and the Twins are usually interested in those. It’s mostly because his brother, Taylor, plays for the Twins.

His twin brother, Taylor.

The Twins can have literal twins in their bullpen, one a lefty and one a righty, and this has been their destiny for decades. If they choose to ignore this, it would be much, much worse than the Giants not using their comp pick for reliever Mike Stanton on high school prospect Mike Stanton.

Anyway, as you might expect for a team with a weak farm system, the Giants aren’t in danger of losing a top prospect in the Rule 5. Some of the players who are temporarily safe might be the first on the block if the Giants sign a free agent, but they won’t be selected by a new team in December.

If the Giants do approach the Rule 5 Draft with a full 40-man roster, it will mean that they won’t make a selection themselves, but they rarely do, so we shouldn’t be surprised.

The Giants are likelier to see Beede, Garcia, Herb, and Snelten sooner because of these moves, and we’re less likely to see Johnson, Slania, Calixte and (especially) Vielma. There’s a decent chance they’ll lose someone in the Rule 5, but I wouldn’t stay awake thinking about it.

Not when you have Giancarlo Stanton rumors gnawing at your soul.

* The “D.J.” stands for Tyler.