Diego

Cartaya

The former top prospect had been stationed at High-A Eugene where he flailed to a miserable .107/.286/.214 slash line with one homer, one RBI and an unbelievable 23/6 K/BB ratio in just 35 plate appearances. He may need to explore opportunities overseas if he has any intentions of continuing his playing career.

It’s the first round of cuts that the Giants have made this spring, so there aren’t any surprises in the group. Bednar, 25, appeared in four Cactus League contests, registering a 2.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a 3/4 K/BB ratio over four innings. He could break through and debut with the Giants at some point during the 2026 campaign.

Cartaya heads to San Francisco’s system just a couple days after being released by Minnesota. The 23-year-old backstop was considered one of the top catching prospects in baseball just a few years ago. He represents a low-risk lottery ticket for the Giants’ player development engine to see if a change of scenery unlocks something.

Cartaya was at one point one of the top prospects in the sport, but he has seen his stock (obviously) fall precipitously. Prior to his release, Cartaya was 5-for-69 (.085) with a .353 OPS. He’s still only 23, so someone might give him a shot as a reclamation project.

Cartaya, who was rated by most as one of the game’s top 20 prospects two years ago, is obviously completely lost right now. After missing most of May, he’s gone 2-for-17 with 11 strikeouts in six games since rejoining the Saints. He’s just 23, and there’s still some hope that things will click. He’s nearly unplayable right now, though.

Cartaya has been awful in 2025; going 2-for-25 with a whopping 18 strikeouts. The former top prospect is now off the 40-man roster and looks to be nothing more than organizational depth.

Cartaya was shipped to Minnesota back in early January by the Dodgers after his stock tanked last year in the upper minors when he struggled to a pedestrian .686 OPS between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 23-year-old is a reclamation project for the Twins after being a consensus top-25 prospect in the game just two years ago.

Vasquez is a 20-year-old who has pitched in the Dominican Summer League for the last two seasons. In 2024, he posted a 4.99 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 45/15 K/BB ratio in 30 2/3 innings. He has some swing-and-miss upside, but he’s a long way away from the major leagues, so he’s just a roll of the dice.

Cartaya was a consensus top-50 prospect two years ago, but he has struggled in the minor leagues since then and was designated for assignment by the Dodgers last week. The 23-year-old hit .221/.323/.363 with 11 homers and 52 RBI over 400 plate appearances between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024, but he figures to start the season in Triple-A with Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez already in Minnesota. It’s still a nice gamble for the Twins.

The Dodgers officially signed Hyeseong Kim to a three-year contract on Friday afternoon, but in doing so they needed to free up a spot on their 40-man roster and Cartaya became the unfortunate roster casualty. The 23-year-old backstop hit just .221/.323/.363 with 11 homers and 52 RBI over 400 plate appearances between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024. He’s talented enough that he may pique another team’s interest on waivers.