San Francisco Giants Make Important Roster Addition At Key Position

On Wednesday December 10, 2025, the San Francisco Giants acquired catcher Daniel Susac via the Rule 5 draft. 

Susac, 24, was the No. 11 prospect in the Athletics organization, but was left unprotected ahead of the Rule 5 draft because the A’s already have Shea Langeliers and Austin Wynns on their 40-man roster. 

The Minnesota Twins selected Susac in the Rule 5 draft, and then the Giants subsequently traded minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo to Minnesota to acquire Susac. 

To retain Susac, the Giants must keep him on the active roster for the entirety of the 2026 season. Given that San Francisco cut ties with Andrew Knizner, the Giants’ backup catcher for most of 2025, earlier in the offseason, that makes Susac the frontrunner to be the Giants’ backup to starting catcher Patrick Bailey. 

It’s not an exaggeration to say that this move could greatly affect the Giants’ 2026 season as well as their future. 

All About Daniel Susac

Daniel Susac is a Northern California native. He was born in Roseville, California and attended Jesuit High School in Carmichael. He starred in college at the University of Arizona, and was selected in the first round, 19th overall in the 2022 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. 

Following the trade, Susac is slots in as the No. 15 overall prospect in the Giants’ organization. 

“Susac’s best attribute is his plus raw power from the right side of the plate, and he has done a better job of tapping into it by pulling and lifting more pitches during the last two seasons,” Susac’s MLB.com scouting report says. “Though he has posted respectable numbers in the Minors, there are questions about his ability to produce in the Majors because he turns his right-handed stroke loose way too often. After he posted a 41 percent chase rate in 2024, the A’s wanted him to cut that down — and he swung at 40 percent of the pitches he saw outside the zone last season.” 

“A former high school quarterback, Susac is deceptively athletic for a 6-foot-4 catcher. He won’t be a Gold Glover behind the plate but he’s a better defender than he has gotten credit for. He has cleaned up his receiving, features solid arm strength and runs a pitching staff well.”

Last season in AAA Las Vegas, Susac hit .275 with 18 home runs and 68 RBI in 97 games. He has a career .280 batting average in 7 minor league seasons. 

A Cool Giants Connection

Daniel Susac is actually the brother of former Giants catcher Andrew Susac. 

Andrew Susac was Giants’ President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey’s backup in 2014 and 2015. He hit .240 with 6 home runs and 33 RBI in 87 career games in a Giants uniform. 

Now Posey gets to bring the younger Susac to San Francisco. Small world!

What the Giants think about Daniel Susac

“I think he’s a candidate,” general manager Zack Minasian said on whether Daniel Susac could be on the 26-man roster this season. “Obviously he’s going to have to come in and earn it, but obviously to take him shows what we think of him, and we definitely see him as a really strong candidate. We’re excited about where our catching depth is with him.”

Giants lose 7 players in Rule 5 draft

Acquiring Susac wasn’t the only significant development for the Giants during the Rule 5 draft. The Giants also lost a significant amount of talent. 

During the major league portion of the draft, the Giants lost pitchers Spencer Miles (Blue Jays) and Ryan Watson (Red Sox). The new teams must keep those two on their new MLB rosters for the entire 2026 season or they will have to return them to the Giants in 2027, so keep an eye on that. 

The Giants also lost 5 players during the minor league portion of the draft: RHP Junior Flores, RHP Ryan Murphy, OF Carter Howell, RHP Jan Caraballo, and RHP Evan Gates. San Francisco did not select any players during the minor league phase of the draft. 

Giants fans, are you excited to see Daniel Susac in San Francisco in 2026? What other move from the Rule 5 draft do you think was most significant for the Giants? 

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