Top prospects Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos were among the players the San Francisco Giants sent to the AFL this season. Both missed time this season due to injuries, so they were sent with the goal of making up for lost time.
The AFL features some of the best prospects in baseball, which means a trip to the AFL can provide invaluable experience on the developmental path.
Teams will often send players set to become eligible for the upcoming Rule 5 draft. A decision will need to be on whether to add those players to the 40-man roster, and AFL experience can be used as another source of evaluation.