Caleb

Kilian

Oliva, whose only major league experience came with the Pirates in 2020 and ’21, really impressed the Giants by hitting .375 and going 14-for-15 stealing bases this spring. The 30-year-old hit .252/.335/.413 for the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate last year. Not much should be expected here, but given how much he loves stealing bases, there might be the chance of some fantasy value if an outfielder ahead of him gets hurt. Kilian, one of this spring’s biggest surprises thanks to a huge velocity jump, should contend for a setup role in the early going.

Kilian hasn’t made the Giants yet, but it’d be a crime if he doesn’t get a spot. He’s been sitting at 98 mph with his fastball, and he’s allowed one run with an 11/2 K/BB in 9 1/3 innings. If he keeps throwing like this, he might wind up as the Giants’ closer at some point.

If you’re looking for the ultimate 2026 deep sleeper, Kilian might qualify. His fastball has jumped into the 95-97 mph range as a one-inning guy, which might just give him the best stuff in a weak Giants bullpen. He’s still not a lock to make the team at this point, since he’s on a minor league deal and can be reassigned without issue, but if he does, he could quickly find himself in a setup role in front of a rather shaky Ryan Walker.

The 28-year-old hurler missed significant time in 2025 due to injury and wound up logging just 15 2/3 innings (primarily at Triple-A Iowa) where he registered a 7.47 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and a 14/8 K/BB ratio across 15 2/3 innings. If healthy, he could wind up being an interesting bullpen addition for the Giants.

Kilian was injured in his first start for Iowa this season and then got released and re-signed to a minor league deal by the Cubs. Interestingly, he was up to 97.0 mph on average with his fastball in his first game back, topping out at 98.7 mph. Last year, he averaged 93.6 mph in one start and one relief appearance for the Cubs. He could turn into a quality major league reliever if he can stay healthy and maintain that kind of velocity.

The 27-year-old hurler was released last weekend after being designated for assignment, but he has decided that a reunion with the Cubs made the most sense. Kilian will continue to function as extra rotation depth at Triple-A Iowa for the time being.

Kilian was jettisoned from Chicago’s 40-man roster earlier this week and passed through waivers unclaimed. The 27-year-old righty will head to free agency in search of a new opportunity. He’s made eight appearances (five starts) in the majors since the outset of the 2022 campaign.

The Cubs needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster following the acquisition of Tom Cosgrove on Thursday and unfortunately Kilian drew the short straw this time around. The 27-year-old hurler was blasted in his only start at Triple-A Iowa this season, giving up six runs on six hits in just 2 1/3 innings.

The quartet will open the regular season back in the minors as extra organizational depth. Poteet was acquired from the Yankees back in mid-December as part of the Cody Bellinger trade and figures to be on the shortlist to return to Chicago should injuries arise to the starting rotation mix. Kilian made two appearances (one start) last year for the Cubs, while both Hollowell and Neely made a handful of relief appearances last season at the big-league level.

Kilian got the nod after Shota Imanaga was scratched. Kilian had previously been 0-4 with an 11.28 ERA as a major leaguer since debuting in 2022, but he pulled that ERA down to 9.22 today. The arm is there for him to contribute next year, whether it’s at the back of the rotation or as a middle reliever, but the Cubs will hope he’s subject to a fourth option year after missing much of this season. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll be out of options next spring.