Will Wilson. Icon Sportswire / Contributor
Patrick Bailey signing his contract was not the only development for the Giants’ NC State prospects on Wednesday.
Will Wilson, Bailey’s former college teammate, is expected to join the Giants’ pool of players, which began with Monday’s announcement of 51 but has begun filling up.
The Giants reportedly will add Bailey as well as fellow catcher Chadwick Tromp, who flew in from Aruba on Tuesday night. Assuming Hunter Bishop recovers well from COVID-19, he will be in the mix. Wilson would make 55 and show the Giants caring as much about their future as their present in their 60-player grab bag. On the list so far are Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos and Marco Luciano.
Wilson, a Kings Mountain, N.C., native, tipped off the Giants’ plans by uploading an Instagram story of his view of Oracle Park on Wednesday afternoon. Giants players were reporting to the stadium on Wednesday and getting tested as the 30 bubbles around the league begin forming.
The 21-year-old shortstop was the 15th-overall pick last year by the Angels, five selections after the Giants went with Hunter Bishop. They said they considered Wilson with their pick, but in December they wound up with both, buying Wilson from an organization looking to save money by being willing to eat the nearly $13 million on Zack Cozart’s pact.
How the Giants will divvy up their remaining five slots will be curious; 40-man members including Chris Shaw, Jandel Gustave and Melvin Adon, as well as camp 1.0-invite Cristhian Adames, still are away from the team, and all could conceivably help this season. Prospects with arguably higher expected ceilings or viewed as closer to ready, such as lefty Seth Corry, outfielder Alexander Canario, third baseman Luis Toribio, outfielder Luis Matos and righty Sean Hjelle, have not been added.
There are still spots and there is still plenty of time. Yet when the Giants add a prospect so soon, it gives a peek into how valued that prospect is; removing a player from the 60-player pool would expose him to waivers. So now that Wilson is expected to be included, he will be included for as long as this season can last.
In his first season in the Angels’ system, Wilson slashed .275/.328/.439 with five home runs in 189 at-bats in Rookie ball. The Giants have a good knowledge of the Wolfpack — they picked NC State pitcher Nick Swiney this year, as well — as amateur scouting director Michael Holmes used to live nearby.
