San Francisco Giants' Projected 25-Man Opening-Day Roster
After being a San Francisco Giants fan since I was a little kid in 1962, and enduring so many disappointing failures, the 2010 season made it all worthwhile. I was beginning to think the Giants winning the World Series would never happen in my lifetime.
Although I am still basking in the afterglow of the Giants' first world championship in San Francisco, spring training is in full force. The 2011 San Francisco Giants will be looking to defend their World Series title.
We shall see if GM Brian Sabean has given manager Bruce Bochy enough to get the job done again. Let's take a closer look at who are the likely candidates for the Giants' Opening Day, 25-man roster.
Starting Pitching: 5 Roster Spots
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The San Francisco Giants have arguably the best pitching staff in baseball from top to bottom. Truly outstanding pitching carried the team to the NL West title and through the playoffs, culminating in a World Series victory.
The Giants' 2011 starting pitching staff is the same as the group that ended 2010. It was this group who shut down the Phillies in the NLCS and then the Rangers in the World Series.
Tim Lincecum is still the ace of the staff and although he had a tough month of August, he pitched well in September to lead the Giants. He is only one season removed from two Cy Young-winning seasons, in 2008 and 2009.
Matt Cain is the second ace of the staff and gives the Giants two top-tier pitchers in the rotation. Cain was the steadiest pitcher for the Giants in 2010 and also came through in the postseason, giving up no earned runs in 21-and-one-third innings pitched.
Jonathan Sanchez has tremendous talent and arguably the best "stuff" of any of the pitchers in the rotation. The left hander had a break-out season with a 13-9 record and 3.07 ERA.
Madison Bumgarner came up big in the postseason for the Giants. The 21-year-old lefty has tremendous poise and he is a tough competitor.
Veteran Barry Zito rounds out the pitching staff. He is in the fourth spot in the rotation, but he's basically considered the No. 5 starting pitcher.
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired Cliff Lee to go along with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton. They now claim the best starting staff in baseball, but until they beat the Giants, that claim remains in San Francisco.
Relief Pitching: 7 Roster Spots
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The San Francisco Giants will most certainly go with a seven-man bullpen. This approach makes perfect sense and is designed to alleviate the stress on the starting pitchers, most of whom threw career highs in innings in 2010.
The back end of the bullpen is handled by National League saves leader Brian Wilson. Wilson is a unique character and his freakishly dark beard has a cult-like following in San Francisco. Beard or no beard, Wilson led the league with 48 saves and he was dominant in the postseason.
The setup role is ably handled by Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla from the right side. Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez are proven left-handed relievers who can also handle setup duties.
Ramon Ramirez is a solid middle innings guy and he has a spot for 2011.
That leaves one remaining relief spot to be had, with four realistic candidates. The Giants are targeting a pitcher that can give them multiple innings. The candidates for the last spot are Guillermo Mota, Dan Runzler, Ryan Vogelsong and Jeff Suppan.
My prediction is that Ryan Vogelsong will earn this final roster spot. He has thrown the ball very well this spring and he can give the Giants multiple innings or act as a spot starter, if they need one.
Starting Lineup: 8 Roster Spots
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Unlike in years past, the San Francisco Giants' everyday lineup is fairly well set.
Behind the plate is Buster Posey, last year's NL Rookie of the Year. The San Francisco offense will benefit from a full year of Posey.
First base is manned by Aubrey Huff, sans his red thong. He recently signed a two-year deal with the Giants and he could also play left field if the Giants decide to promote Brandon Belt to the majors.
The second baseman is Freddy Sanchez. He is an excellent contact hitter and very solid defensive player.
The third baseman is the new look Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval struggled with his weight in 2010 and his performance suffered both at the plate and in the field.
In the offseason, Sandoval went on a strict exercise and nutrition program and lost 38 pounds. The now svelte-looking Sandoval is pounding the baseball and his mobility has also improved in the field. I expect Sandoval to have a big year and if he does, it will be like having a brand new player for the Giants.
Miguel Tejada joins the Giants and will play shortstop. He probably won't hit 24 home runs with 85 RBI like Uribe did in 2010, but Tejada should hit significantly higher than the .248 average Uribe had last year. Uribe and Tejada are both just adequate defensively at this stage of their careers.
Miguel Tejada, like Uribe did last year, will fit in to the Giants' clubhouse very well. Tejada brings a wealth of experience and a positive attitude to San Francisco.
Two of the three outfield starters are set. NLCS MVP Cody Ross will start in right field. He is a solid hitter and good defensive player. Beside him in center field is Andres Torres. Torres proved last year that he can be an everyday player and he is a catalyst at the top of the order for the Giants.
The left fielder will most probably be the veteran Pat Burrell to start the season. The Giants signed Burrell off the scrap heap, after he was released by Tampa Bay. Burrell showed that he still has some tread on the tires, as he hit 18 home runs and drove in 51 runs in only 289 at bats.
For the first time in several years, the Giants have top flight major-league talent at every starting position.
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Reserves: 5 Roster Spots
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There are five roster spots remaining. Manager Bruce Bochy does a good job of utilizing his bench players and these five will be an important part of the 2011 San Francisco Giants.
The backup catcher is Eli Whiteside. With Buster Posey behind the plate, Whiteside won't see a whole lot of playing time. He is a good defensive catcher and also calls a good game. Offensively, he's got a lot of room for improvement, but he did come through with some big hits in 2010 for the Giants.
Mark DeRosa is slated to be a super utility man and could start four or five games a week at various positions for the Giants. DeRosa can play any of the infield spots, as well as the corner outfield positions.
Mark DeRosa missed the majority of the 2010 season with a wrist injury that required a second surgery, following one that he had in 2009. He is now healthy and, if he stays that way, he will be a major contributor for the Giants. I expect DeRosa to get between 300-and-400 at bats this season.
Infielder Mike Fontenot was acquired by the Giants from the Cubs midway through the 2010 season. He was a valuable reserve last season and he will fill that role again in 2011. Fontenot is a scrappy, tough ball player and also a good pinch hitter.
Barring a trade or major injury, this leaves two roster spots available and there are five potential players who could fill those spots. Aaron Rowand, Nate Schierholtz, Manny Burriss, Travis Ishikawa and rookie Brandon Belt are competing for those final two major-league jobs.
Which of these five players will make the opening day roster in 2011?
I believe Aaron Rowand will get one of those jobs. He is a center fielder by trade, but also played left field in a recent spring game. That versatility, plus Rowand's huge contract, will most likely ensure that the Giants keep him on the roster.
Aaron Rowand was also off to a very good start in 2010 when he was hit in the face by Vicente Padilla. Rowand was out several weeks and Andres Torres stepped in and never relinquished the job. When Rowand returned, he was not the same hitter and the fact that he was playing sporadically didn't help.
On the flip side, Nate Schierholtz has been given chances in the past two seasons and his bat has not measured up. He is a fine defensive player, but with Cody Ross in right field, there is less of a need for a late-inning defensive guy in the outfield.
It is almost unfathomable that Schierholtz could have 252 plate appearances last year and only have 17 RBI. He is also out of minor-league options, so the Giants risk losing him if he is not kept. Unfortunately for Schierholtz, as the team has upgraded the personnel, there is no longer room for him.
Manny Burriss is also unlikely to make the big league roster to start the season. He is having a good spring, but with Fontenot and DeRosa backing up in the infield, Burriss will start the year in Fresno.
At this point, although there have been trade rumors, Travis Ishikawa most probably holds the final roster spot. He is an excellent defensive player and he was a valuable late-inning defensive replacement at first base. Ishikawa was also the top pinch hitter for the Giants in 2010.
The wild card in the game of musical chairs for the Opening Day roster spots is Brandon Belt. The Giants are touting Belt in much the same way that they touted Buster Posey last year. Belt had a tremendous year, jumping from Single-A through Double-A and up to Triple-A all in the same year.
His combined stats were outstanding, as Belt hit .352 with 23 home runs and 112 RBI in 492 at bats. Belt only had 48 Triple-A at bats however, so I strongly believe the Giants will keep Belt at the Triple-A level to start the season.
In much the same way as they handled Buster Posey, expect the Giants to call up Brandon Belt in May or June, which could give the Giants offense a positive jolt.
The Giants Have What It Takes to Win the NL West in 2011
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The San Francisco Giants have the best 25-man roster from top to bottom that I can ever recall. The entire pitching staff is strong, the starting lineup is solid and the depth is outstanding.
The Colorado Rockies will give the Giants a battle for the NL West crown, but the Giants will prevail because of the quality of their pitching staff. The Rockies could also make the playoffs as a Wild Card team as there could very well be two playoff teams in the NL coming from the West.
Once in the playoffs, the Giants proved they have what it takes to go all the way. With their excellent pitching staff and some timely hitting, it's definitely possible for them to make a deep postseason run.
I can't wait for the regular season to start.
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