Friday, January 16

The Giants will hold their first spring workout for pitchers and catchers on Feb. 10 in Scottsdale, Ariz., launching a six-week camp that will determine which 26 players the club will carry on its Opening Day roster this year. 

San Francisco has several pieces locked into place after building a core around Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee and Logan Webb, but there figures to be plenty of competition for other spots on the roster. 

That should create an opportunity for non-roster invitees -- namely players who sign Minor League deals with invitations to big league camp -- to come in and try to win jobs out of Spring Training. 

Here are three intriguing NRIs to follow once Giants camp begins: 

Eric Haase, C

Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Susac is viewed as the front-runner to serve as Patrick Bailey’s backup after being acquired from the Twins in December. But the Giants recently brought another veteran into the mix by agreeing to a Minor League deal with Haase, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. 

Haase will earn $1.6 million plus incentives if he cracks San Francisco’s Opening Day roster and has an opt-out after Spring Training, per Morosi. 

The 33-year-old Haase opened the 2025 campaign as the Brewers’ No. 2 catcher behind William Contreras, but he was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville following the arrival of Trade Deadline acquisition Danny Jansen. A right-handed hitter, Haase held the starting catching job for his hometown Tigers from 2021-22 and has a career .674 OPS over eight seasons in the big leagues.

The Giants are high on Susac and fellow catching prospect Jesus Rodriguez, but neither has played in the Majors. So there could be an avenue for Haase to make a push for a roster spot if the club prefers to have a more experienced option to pair with Bailey.

Gregory Santos, RHP 

Santos debuted with the Giants as a flamethrowing reliever in 2021, but he appeared in only five games before he was traded to the White Sox in exchange for Kade McClure in December 2022. The Dominican right-hander enjoyed a breakout season in Chicago the following year, recording a 3.39 ERA with five saves and 66 strikeouts over 66 1/3 innings. 

Santos was subsequently dealt to Seattle, where he was limited to 16 appearances over the last two seasons due to a rash of injuries. He missed most of 2025 while rehabbing from right knee surgery, though he returned to make six relief appearances for Triple-A Tacoma in September.

The Mariners non-tendered Santos in November, paving the way for the 26-year-old to reunite with the Giants on a Minor League deal last month. 

While Santos has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, he has continued to flash high-octane stuff, averaging 97.4 mph on his sinker in 2025. If he can regain the form he showed with the White Sox in 2023, Santos could have a good chance to join a Giants bullpen that needs some reinforcements now that Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers are gone and Randy Rodríguez is out with Tommy John surgery.  

Caleb Kilian, RHP

Like Santos, Kilian is back for a second stint with San Francisco after signing a Minor League deal in December. An eighth-round Draft pick in 2019, Kilian was one of two Giants prospects who were traded to the Cubs in exchange for Kris Bryant at the 2021 Trade Deadline. 

The 28-year-old ended up recording a 9.22 ERA over eight Major League appearances (five starts) for Chicago from 2022-24, hampered by some physical ailments over that bumpy stretch. He missed the first half of 2024 with a teres major strain in his right shoulder and then suffered a Grade 2 lat strain last April that sidelined him for four months. 

Kilian transitioned to the bullpen when he returned to action in August and recorded a 4.73 ERA over 13 1/3 innings in 10 appearances between High-A South Bend and Triple-A Iowa. Kilian will have to avoid the injured list to reestablish himself as a big league pitcher, but he could be an intriguing bounce-back candidate for the Giants, who will need all the pitching depth they can get in 2026.

The Giants have been hunting for upgrades at second base throughout the offseason, and the market seems to be heating up now that Alex Bregman has signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs. 

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday that the Giants are engaged in trade discussions for both the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan and the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner. 

Here’s a full breakdown of the rumor and what it could mean for the clubs involved. More >>

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