SAN FRANCISCO -- For the first time since 2021, Jared Oliva can call himself a big leaguer.
Oliva, 30, came into Giants camp as a non-roster invitee. But he managed to earn a backup outfield spot on the Opening Day roster after hitting .375 with a .994 OPS and 14 stolen bases in 20 Cactus League games.
“It's been a while,” said Oliva, who hadn’t played in the Majors since appearing in 20 games for the Pirates in 2021. “I will be honest, it was pretty emotional with me and my family. Looking back, it's been a lot of hard times. It's been very tough. A lot of times you look at yourself in the mirror and -- I won't say you're questioning if you can keep going, but it feels like you're going against the current sometimes.
“But it's amazing what this game can kind of reward you with if you just keep your head down and keep working.”
Oliva’s addition came at the expense of fellow outfielder Luis Matos, who was designated for assignment on Wednesday. Matos, 24, had been in the organization since signing with the Giants as a teenager in 2018, but he was out of options and had struggled to establish himself as a big league regular over the past three seasons.
“The Matos one was hard,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said. “He’s been a Giant for a while now. Ultimately, we felt like carrying Oliva -- with what he can do on the basepaths, defensively -- is a weapon for us. If Matos ends up clearing, we'll be happy to have him back.”
Left fielder Heliot Ramos said he hopes Matos will get another chance to show what he can do elsewhere.
“It's really hard,” Ramos said. “Obviously, he's my guy. I love Matos. I love every single one of them, but I kind of came up and down with him a little bit. I played a bunch of games in the big leagues with him. I texted him. I don't know if he texted me back, but I wish him nothing but the best. He's one of the greats. I think he's a great player. I think he's a great person, and I think any team will pick him. Any team would want him any day.”
The Giants don’t have a lot of team speed -- they ranked 29th in the Majors with 68 stolen bases in 2025 -- but they believe Oliva will help them finally push the envelope on the basepaths this year. Oliva went 57-for-63 in stolen-base attempts with Triple-A Nashville last season, so he’s eager to show off that skill set and help pressure opposing teams now that he’s back in the Majors.
“It's one of my strong suits as a player and what I can bring to this team,” Oliva said. “I think this camp kind of made a lot of other guys realize, too, just how much of a threat we can be on the bases. Whether you're a top-tier runner or not, you don't need to be necessarily fast to be a good baserunner. I think we showed that in camp.”
Kilian, Susac nab spots
Oliva wasn’t the only feel-good story to come out of Wednesday’s roster moves.
The Giants also carried another non-roster invitee -- Caleb Kilian -- in their Opening Day bullpen, resulting in a full-circle moment for the 28-year-old right-hander. Kilian was drafted by the Giants in the eighth round of the 2019 Draft, but he ended up being dealt to the Cubs as part of the Kris Bryant trade in 2021.
Kilian was hampered by various injuries in Chicago, struggling to a 9.22 ERA over eight appearances (five starts) for the Cubs from 2022-24. He didn’t pitch in the Majors last year, but he impressed after recording a 0.96 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 9 1/3 innings in eight Cactus League appearances.
“I was pumped,” Kilian said. “My priority was just staying healthy. I’ve been able to throw pretty hard the last couple of springs, but dealing with injuries has been what’s holding me back. That was my primary focus. Just going out and competing and having fun with it.”
Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Susac also made his first Opening Day roster after edging veteran Eric Haase for the backup catcher job. Susac is expected to fill a role that was once held by his older brother, Andrew, who served as Posey’s backup in San Francisco from 2014-15.
Susac hails from nearby Roseville, Calif., and he said he expected to have tons of friends and family members in the stands on Wednesday, including his brother.
“They were pumped up, especially my brother,” Susac said. “He was really excited. It’s something he was really proud of. … He told me, ‘Take it one day at a time and enjoy it while you can.’”