Spencer Miles, Ryan Watson Secure Spots on Opening Day Rosters

This article takes a look at the San Francisco Giants’ moves in the Major League Rule 5 Draft. Daniel Susac has emerged as the backup catcher, while two pitchers—Spencer Miles and Ryan Watson—have taken unexpected paths after being picked up by other teams.

These changes tie into the Giants’ Opening Day roster plans. They also impact the team’s depth for the season ahead.

Giants’ Rule 5 strategy: backing Susac and preserving pitching depth

Preseason chatter really focused on Daniel Susac grabbing the backup catcher job. He managed to beat out veterans like Eric Haase and Jesús Rodríguez, so now the Giants are counting on him to handle duties behind the plate and keep developing at the big-league level.

The Rule 5 Draft also meant losing two pitchers, Spencer Miles and Ryan Watson. Other clubs snapped them up and immediately put them on their MLB rosters, which was honestly a bit of a surprise.

Daniel Susac lands backup catcher role

Susac earned his spot through a competitive spring. He outperformed more experienced options and got the call to stick in the majors.

The Giants hope he can become a steady receiver and chip in offensively, especially in San Francisco’s hitter-friendly park. Susac’s spot as backup catcher gives the team some flexibility, letting them mix and match the lineup and bullpen as the season goes on.

Miles and Watson: Rule 5 stories with immediate roster implications

The Giants lost two right-handed pitchers in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Spencer Miles, who was a 2022 fourth-round pick from Missouri and has dealt with injuries, got picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays. He made their Opening Day roster, even though he’s only thrown 14.2 professional innings above rookie ball.

During spring training, Miles showed some promise with 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings and a 3.72 ERA. Still, he struggled with control, hit a batter, and gave up two homers—so there are some question marks. Now Toronto has to figure out if they can keep him on the roster as things move forward.

Ryan Watson is the other pitcher the Giants lost. He’s 28, bounced around from Auburn to the Orioles and Giants organizations, and finally landed with Boston. His spring stats weren’t great (5.56 ERA, 4.62 FIP, seven strikeouts in 11.1 innings), but Boston’s staff saw enough to take a chance and put him on the roster for Opening Day.

Both Miles and Watson have to stay on their new teams’ 26-man rosters because of Rule 5 rules. If not, their teams have to put them on waivers, and if nobody claims them, they go back to the Giants for a small fee. It’s a bit of a gamble all around, honestly.

The Giants were pretty active in the Rule 5 Draft, making three of the 13 selections overall. Out of the rest, six of the other ten pitchers made Opening Day rosters, three went back to their original teams, and one, RJ Petit, started the year on the injured list.

So the Giants left their mark on the Rule 5 this year, even as they watched two of their arms head out. It’s a tricky balance—trying to build depth for now while still thinking about the future.

What this means for the Giants heading into the season

San Francisco’s Rule 5 strategy says a lot about their outlook this year. They’re betting on young talent stepping up soon, but they’re also keeping roster flexibility and injury risk in mind.

Susac’s move to backup catcher gives them a reliable option at a tough position. It lets the team rest their main catcher and watch Susac’s development firsthand.

On the flip side, Miles and Watson leaving really highlights how unpredictable Rule 5 picks can be. If those guys end up coming back, at least the Giants get a little something and can decide what to do with them later—maybe stash them in the minors, maybe not.

For Giants fans, the big question is how this all shakes out when the games actually start. Will Susac handle the rookie pressure and do something at the plate? And if Miles or Watson find success elsewhere, will San Francisco regret letting them go?

We’ll start to get some answers as the Opening Day lineup comes together. The Giants are rolling with a mix of seasoned vets and new faces, so April could be interesting.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Spencer Miles and Ryan Watson make their Opening Day rosters