What Will the 2010 Giants Look Like?

Every once in a while, we like to step back from the season in progress and take a look at the bigger picture. This is a topic that's been on my mind lately. Despite the Giants’ initial success this year, most people who follow the team closely have set 2010 as the year when the team will regain their status as serious contenders. However, the issue of who will actually take the field next spring is still very much up in the air. So much will depend on the performance of players on the current team, the progress of top prospects, and the free agent market. Taking these factors into account, here is a position-by-position breakdown of how the team could shape up.

C: Bengie Molina’s contract is up after 2009, creating a space for 2008 first-round pick Buster Posey, who has been as advertised so far at Class-A San Jose. Some have suggested that Molina should be kept around as a veteran mentor, but a prospect like Posey needs to be playing every day, and I’m not sure Molina would like a part-time role. If the Giants want to keep Posey in the minors for a month or two to begin the season, they might be better off going with a backup-type like Miguel Olivo or Yorvit Torrealba.

1B: This is perhaps the most wide open position on the roster. Travis Ishikawa has not inspired confidence with his performance right now, and who knows where he will be a month from now, much less 2010. The Giants are reportedly floating the idea of moving Pablo Sandoval across the diamond to first. Jesus Guzman, who opened a lot of eyes in Spring Training and has continued to hit well at Triple-A Fresno, could get a look as well. On the free agent market, options include Nick Johnson and Adam LaRoche, who could also be trade targets if the Giants remain in contention.

2B: The Giants have shown a lot of patience will Emmanuel Burriss this year, and they have been rewarded with improved performance over the past couple weeks. Burriss has excellent speed, has shown a decent ability to get on base, and has played an acceptable second base, but his complete lack of power makes him more suitable as a role player. If Brian Sabean decides he wants a more potent bat, he could go for Orlando Hudson or Felipe Lopez.

3B: Like first base, this one is up in the air. Pablo Sandoval has a future with this team, but it may not be at third. If Sandoval is moved, there are not a lot of inspiring internal options. Adrian Beltre has been linked to the Giants in trade rumors in the past, and he will probably be the best available free agent. Conor Gillaspie, currently at San Jose, is the best third base prospect in the organization, and could see big league action at some point next year.

SS: Barring injury or historically poor performance, Edgar Renteria is pretty much locked in as the starter next year, with Brandon Crawford maybe stepping up in 2011.

LF: For all the talk of a slump, Fred Lewis is still getting on base at a .390 clip. But if his power does not develop and his strikeouts continue to pile up, his role may be that of a fourth outfielder. Even though he’s only been in the league a couple years, Lewis is 28. He’s not going to develop much more as a player. There will be some big bats available this offseason, most notably Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.

CF: Like it or not, the Giants are pretty much stuck with Aaron Rowand in center field. Unless Sabean can find someone willing to take on his contract, Rowand will be out there again in 2010.

RF: Randy Winn’s tenure in right field will likely come to an end this season, and whoever takes over will have big shoes to fill. The Giants hope it will be Nate Schierholtz, but there are doubts about his ability to consistently hit big-league pitching, and he may be more suited to a bench role. If the Giants choose the free agent route, they will have a hard time finding anyone who can cover as much ground in right as Winn, as the market is full of aging, defense-averse sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero, Bobby Abreu, and Brian Giles. Xavier Nady has been linked to the Giants in the past, and if healthy could be an option.

SP: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez will all be under contract, and if all of them return, that leaves only one spot to fill. A lot depends on the development of Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson, both of whom were recently promoted to Double-A. If the Giants feel that one or both are ready to step into the rotation, they could look to trade Sanchez or even Cain in the right deal. As good as Matt Cain can be, if the Giants were offered the kind of haul that the Orioles got for Erik Bedard or the A’s got for Dan Haren, they could be tempted. Kevin Pucetas, Joe Martinez, and Henry Sosa could also battle for a spot in Spring Training. Whatever the case, it appears unlikely the Giants will need to bring in a free agent to fill out the rotation.

RP: Trying to imagine what a bullpen will look almost a year before the season is a fruitless exercise, but here’s what we know: Brian Wilson will likely still be closing games, and he will be supported by Jeremy Affeldt in the second year of his contract. If Sergio Romo comes back and pitches like he did last year, he should be there too. Bob Howry could be brought back if he continues to pitch well. Other free agents include John Grabow, Fernando Rodney, Kevin Gregg, and Joe Beimel. Within the organization, Osiris Matos and Alex Hinshaw should still be around, while Sosa and Waldis Joaquin could be dark horse candidates.

Now back to the real world.

-C.B.

Who Would've Thought a 2-1 Weekend Would Be A Disappointment

Going into Friday's game, all I wanted was for the Giants to take two of three from Arizona, and that they did. It is a little disappointing because they came oh-so-close to leaving with a sweep, but here's a look back at a mostly positive weekend...

If you watched Friday night's game, then it was painfully clear that something is just not right with Tim Lincecum. Despite a Giants win, Lincecum in no way resembled the 2008 Cy Young award winner we know and love. He could only muster eight innings, and allowed a whopping five hits. Even worse, his strikeout total dropped from 13 in his previous start to only 12. He also increased his walk total from his previous start, allowing one. And, he allowed a 2-out RBI single to a pitcher! Miraculously, the Giants dominant offense carried them to a 5-1 victory.

Saturday's victory resembled the kind of win that only winning teams get. You know the kind where your number starter gets knocked out early, and your offense and bullpen carry you to victory. Clutch two-out hitting has been rather elusive for the Orange and Black, but all five came in such circumstances - an Edgar Renteria double, a Randy Winn homer, and a single from the oft hitting challenged Emmanuel Burris. The hitting was clutch, but I just cannot say enough good things about the bullpen's performance, especially the strong setup guys we have in Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry. A major issue the Giants have faced in their string of losing seasons has been a lack of quality setup guys to finish the job - coupled with starters who cannot go deep. Both Affeldt and Howry have handled their late-inning duties successfully (each has three holds), achieving a certain late inning confidence.

What was that about late inning confidence? Sunday's game had all the makings of an inspiring getaway win for the Giants - seven solid innings from Matt Cain (who was in line for win number three), a clutch homer from Pablo Sandoval, more great setup work from Affeldt and Howry, and a 4-1 lead with Brian Wilson on the mound. Blown saves happen - it is just a fact. I will not go into any monologues trying to diagnose Brian Wilson's strength and weaknesses. Even the best closers have a bad day. Despite the loss, there are still numerous positives to take from this game and even more from the series - the Giants have turned that dismal 2-7 into a respectable 8-9.

Renteria Slams San Diego

With one swing of the bat against Jake Peavy on Tuesday, Edgar Renteria put as many runs on the board as the Giants scored in the entire series against the Diamondbacks, and then did one better with an RBI single the following inning. After an unspectacular first two weeks, Renteria has gone 6-13 over his past five games. Travis Ishikawa also had a much needed good game, driving in two insurance runs and working a walk in front of Renteria's grand slam. Matt Cain pitched his third straight quality starts, allowing two runs in six innings. Cain allowed nine hits, but only one for extra bases, and he didn't walk a batter.

A minor roster move was made after the game. Alex Hinshaw, who recorded the final out, was sent down to Triple-A Fresno, and catcher Steve Holm was recalled. Holm gives the Giants a legitimate backup catcher, though I have a feeling Pablo Sandoval will still probably spell Molina most of the time. Holm was 0-18 with eight strikeouts to start the year in Fresno, but at the very least, he provides the team with some insurance in case of emergency. Hinshaw was clearly the weak link in the bullpen with five walks and just one strikeout in 5.1 innings. It will be interesting to see what happens when Sergio Romo comes off the DL. Emmanuel Burriss had another 0-4, including a double play with the bases loaded and nobody out. Burriss has barely gotten the ball out of the infield and has made numerous mental mistakes, and I think we may see Kevin Frandsen sooner rather than later. All in all, however, a very good day.

Lincecum Isn't Broken, Just the Offense

After a pair of starts that did not rank amongst his best, folks jumped the gun trying to figure out what the issue might be with Tim Lincecum. "We've all seen it this week," wrote Ranier Reglos in Bleacher Report. "Tim Lincecum is not the same Giant he was last year." Is a 24-year old kid with a lifetime 25-11 record not allowed to have a couple of bad days? There is no curse surrounding Lincecum - no Sports Illustrated curse, no video game curse, and no Cy Young curse! Lincecum does not wear his emotions on his sleeve the way some pitchers do, and handles the pressure and the spotlight as well as anyone.

Those critics were silenced on Saturday afternoon, as Lincecum was absolutely money. Eight innings, thirteen strikeouts, zero runs, and zero walks. He has regained his natural form and dropped his ERA down to a respectable 3.86. Unfortunately, Lincecum has to rely on the San Francisco Giants for run support, and frankly he fell victim to a bit of Matt Cain syndrome at AT&T park. While Lincecum baffled the Diamondbacks for eight innings, Giants hitters appeared equally baffled. Emmanuel Burris and Fred Lewis each had two hits, and Edgar Renteria did walk, however the Giants could not get runners into scoring position and did not appear to know what to do with the ones they had. Oh, and Burris got caught stealing home. This is the kind of 2-0 loss that really hurts.

A quick note on the Arizona Diamondbacks: When they came to town in April of last year, I was genuinely threatened. I thought they had the best lineup in the West, and were the team to beat in the NL. As the Giants shut them out for 16 straight innings, I wondered, "When did this lineup become so unimpressive?"