Which prospects might the Giants protect from the Rule 5 Draft?

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The Giants have spent the first part of the offseason cleaning up their 40-man roster, which needed to be trimmed back down to 40 before Monday’s deadline to reinstate players off the 60-day injured list.

San Francisco got back in compliance by cutting nine players -- most notably right-handers José Buttó and Tristan Beck -- on Monday, but the roster churn isn’t expected to end there. The Giants will still have to clear more 40-man spots for any free agents they sign, as well as any prospects they want to shield from the Rule 5 Draft.

(Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their team’s 40-man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.)

The Giants will have until Nov. 17 to decide which of their Rule 5-eligible prospects to protect this year. Here’s a look at four young pitchers who could be in the mix to be added to the 40-man roster later this month:

Henry Lalane, LHP (Giants’ No. 11 prospect per MLB Pipeline)

Acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Heliot Ramos at the 2026 Trade Deadline, Lalane logged a 3.16 ERA in 21 regular-season outings (20 starts) across three Minor League levels this year. The 6-foot-7 hurler also made a pair of postseason appearances for High-A Eugene and Double-A Richmond, giving him a career-high 105 innings in 2026 -- more than his previous four seasons (101 2/3) combined.

Lalane, 22, was hampered by left shoulder issues earlier in his career, but his stuff improved across the board once he got healthy this year. His fastball sat at 91-92 mph in 2024-25, but it now averages in the mid-90s and can top out at 98, with improved armside run and carry. He also features a low-80s changeup, as well as a 78-82 mph sweeper.

Lalane is likely to open next season at Richmond, where he could be part of a rotation that includes fellow top pitching prospects Jackson Flora (No. 3), Ramon Marquez (No. 5) and Jacob Bresnahan (No. 9). The Giants are in desperate need of more pitching depth, so Lalane could have a chance to contribute in the Majors sooner rather than later if he continues to perform well in the upper Minors in 2027.

Joe Whitman, LHP (No. 23)

Taken as a supplemental pick in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Whitman recorded a 3.54 ERA in 32 appearances (24 starts) between Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento this season. The 25-year-old southpaw was used exclusively as a starter in Double-A, but he got looks out of the rotation and the bullpen in Triple-A and posted a terrific 1.71 ERA over his final four starts for the River Cats.

Whitman sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, but his best pitch is a low-80s slider with horizontal and vertical action. He projects as a possible back-end starter or a relief option for the Giants.

Luis De La Torre, LHP (No. 25)

De La Torre signed with the Giants for $10,000 in July 2023 and spent two seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League before making his stateside debut last year. He pitched to an impressive 2.78 ERA in 18 appearances (15 starts) between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Single-A San Jose in '25, but he couldn’t replicate that success this year.

The 23-year-old De La Torre struggled to overcome control issues at High-A Eugene, where he posted 5.81 ERA with 82 walks and 126 strikeouts over 100 2/3 innings in 25 starts. Listed at 5-foot-11, De La Torre works out of a high-three-quarters slot and boasts a mid-90s fastball that touches 98, as well as a mid-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball.

Marty Gair, RHP

Gair was also part of the Giants’ prospect haul at the 2026 Trade Deadline, as he came over from the Phillies in exchange for second baseman Luis Arraez and right-hander Caleb Kilian. A 13th-round Draft pick by Philadelphia in 2023, Gair recorded a 4.88 ERA with 84 strikeouts over 48 innings in 41 relief appearances across four Minor League affiliates this year.

The 23-year-old Gair fashioned a 2.25 ERA in seven outings for High-A Eugene, but he took some lumps when he was promoted to Richmond in September, allowing six runs over four innings (13.50 ERA). The 6-foot-6 Gair relies heavily on his high-octane fastball, which sits in the upper-90s and can hit triple digits.

Other notable Rule 5-eligible prospects: LHP Reggie Crawford, C Adrian Sugestey, C Jancel Villarroel, INF Sabin Ceballos, RHP Will Bednar