Giants Add Outfielder Joey Wiemer, Designate Catcher Andrew Knizner
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants have acquired outfielder Joey Wiemer from the Cleveland Guardians, the team announced Wednesday. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated catcher Andrew Knizner for assignment.
Wiemer,a right-handed hitter,provides the Giants with potential power and defensive versatility. Against left-handed pitching, Wiemer has a .255/.298/.484 slash line with a 106 wRC+, demonstrating above-average offensive production. He is capable of playing all three outfield positions, with defensive metrics showing positive marks in each spot – 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 7 Outs Above Average across 1249 innings in the majors.
the move comes as Wiemer is out of minor league options,meaning the Giants must either keep him on their 26-man roster or designate him for assignment. He is projected as a potential bench option, possibly platooning in right field with left-handed hitter Drew gilbert, should the Giants not pursue a larger acquisition at the position. Former top prospects luis Matos and Marco Luciano will also compete for a similar role, though both struggled offensively in 2025 and have diminished prospect value. Like Wiemer, Matos and Luciano are also out of minor league options, suggesting at least two of the three players could be released before Opening Day.
Knizner, who will turn 31 in February, was projected to earn $1.3MM in arbitration for the 2026 season, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. He hit .221/.299/.299 in 88 plate appearances for the giants in 2025. while he has improved his framing skills, Knizner has historically struggled with blocking pitches and controlling the running game. Over his big league career, spanning 975 plate appearances, he is a .211/.281/.316 hitter.
The Giants reportedly explored trade opportunities for Knizner but were unsuccessful. He will now be eligible for waivers.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle frist reported the acquisition of Wiemer. Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported Knizner’s DFA.
