For the second consecutive year, the Twins have made a pick in the Rule 5 draft. Like last year’s choice, the player selected will not make Minnesota’s roster.
While the team dipped into the pitching pool last year with reliever Eiberson Castellano, they took a position player this season, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the A’s AAA (Las Vegas) roster, and immediately traded him to the Giants.
The A’s first-round pick in 2022, Susac has risen quickly up their farm system. At age 24, he spent 2025 in AAA-Las Vegas, slashing .275/.349/.483 with 18 home runs across 97 games. He also threw out 26 percent of base stealers, but made eight errors and allowed six passed balls. But that’s San Francisco’s problem now.
In exchange for Susac, the Twins received 17-year-old catching prospect Miguel Caraballo. In the Dominican Summer League, the switch-hitting Caraballo slashed .264/.432/.442 across 41 games.
No Twins prospects were selected by any other clubs in the Major League portion of the draft. In the minor league (AAA) portion, Minnesota lost relievers Aaron Sozak and John Stankiewicz while adding reliever Sam Ryan and outfielder Garrett Spain.
Ahead of the draft, the Twins released outfielder Carson McCusker to clear a roster spot. That spot belonged to Susac for three minutes and is once again vacant.
McCusker played in 16 games for Minnesota in 2025. Despite his AAA power numbers (.795 OPS, 22 homers) and 6’8” frame, McCusker never replicated those results for the big club, putting up a .372 OPS (five hits, all singles) and striking out in 16 of his 30 plate appearances.
