San Francisco Giants: 5 Moves Giants Will Make Before Spring Training Ends

There is now less than a month until San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale for the start of spring training. Therefore, it is time to begin thinking about what will transpire before the team breaks camp for San Francisco.

As is the situation with many teams, most of the everyday player position spots and rotation have already been decided. In the cases of those few open bench spots, especially with this year’s Giants team, there is bound to be intrigue and competition. Not only this, but there is still work to be accomplished off the field.

After failing to make the playoffs in the year following their World Series title, any honeymoon period for the Giants’ front office and team is long over. This spring they must identify players that not only have strong chemistry, but have the talent to help the team win on a consistent basis.

What is going to transpire before Opening Day 2012? Here are five moves that will be made:

Extend Matt Cain

Although they did not get the four or five year deal they were hoping for with Tim Lincecum, that is not going to be the case with Matt Cain. Cain has made it fairly clear he wants to remain in San Francisco, and the front office has no reason not to want to keep him around. He has started a family in the Bay Area, and despite a poor win-loss record due to lack of run support, he has enjoyed incredible success with the Giants.

Brian Sabean and the Giants general management, meanwhile, are quite motivated to get a deal done themselves. Unless there is a complete change in organizational philosophy and team makeup, the G-men are going to be built on pitching for the foreseeable future. Cain has been the picture of what a strong, consistent, front-end starter should be. In addition, he has the body and throwing motion that are unlikely to break down until later in his career. Thus, in order to maintain the stability at the top of their rotation, Cain has to be retained.

Finally, a deal will get done before the end of spring training because it is also in the interest of both sides. As with most players, Cain would rather have his contract extension figured out prior to the season than negotiate while he’s playing. Also, with so many other teams in need of pitching and willing to overpay for proven talent, the Giants don’t want to allow him to test the open market.   

Barry Zito Named 5th Starter

Barring the emergence of some new farmhand or non-roster invitee, Barry Zito is going to be the Giants fifth starter in 2012. This will come as a disappointment to many San Francisco Giants fans, but it seems inevitable. There is no way the team can simply waive Zito and take on the roughly $50 million in dead weight.

Very simply, Bruce Bochy and Dave Righetti must find a way to make Zito useful for the Giants in this season and next. He is too much of a creature of habit to be effective out of the bullpen, and as the fifth starter he will have as little pressure to perform as possible.

At this point, Zito is incapable of earning his seven year, $126 million contract. However, he can still serve a purpose for the Giants. If he pitches every fifth day, allows three or four runs and goes at least five innings, that is really all the team needs. Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner and Vogelsong will be responsible for putting the team in a position to pick up the bulk of the wins. Zito just needs to be able to complement them. 

Release Emmanuel Burriss

The competition for the utility infield spots is going to be one of the hottest contests this spring. Mike Fontenot, Emmanuel Burriss and Ryan Theriot are three players competing for two spots. Small in stature and low on power, each earns their paycheck by playing multiple infield positions. In Burriss’ case, he has even played some outfield.

The difference between the three that really matters to the Giants is their ability to hit. This is where Fontenot and Theriot, .263 and.282 career hitters respectively, have the upper hand. Burris has hit mainly singles in his time in the major leagues, and has only amassed an average of .250. 

On a Giants squad starved for offense, that is simply not going to be good enough to make the team. Even though he is a switch hitter, by carrying a left-handed swinging Fontenot and right handed Theriot that difference is essentially erased. If Burriss clears waivers and remains in the Giants farm system he may be able to help this team later in the season, but at least to begin it he will not be given the chance.

Brandon Belt at First Base

After giving him most of the starts at first during Spring Training, Brandon Belt will be named the Giants first baseman. Aubrey Huff will have to find other ways to contribute, as he will see diminished playing time after Belt’s emergence. Although last year this move was resisted by Bochy and the Giants management, there are two reasons why this move will be made prior to this season.

First, despite not admitting it publicly, the Giants mishandled Belt in 2011. They bumped him up and down from Fresno too many times for him to settle in as an effective major leaguer. Understanding this and the potential Belt has to perform, they will move to insure that they get his maximum output.

Secondly, Aubrey Huff is no longer guaranteed the starting spot. As a fan favorite who put up nice numbers during the Giants run to the World Series in 2010, Huff was unequivocally handed the 2011 first base job. However, at the end of last season, the Giants made it very clear they were very unhappy with Huff’s conditioning and performance. Therefore, it seems they have already sowed the seeds for Belt taking over as the everyday first baseman.

Allow the Oakland A's to Move to San Jose

This is the move that every person inside and outside of baseball expects will occur sometime before the start of the 2012 season. A deal will be worked out such that the Giants remove their territorial rights to San Jose so that the Oakland A’s can relocate. It is a situation that the Giants would like to avoid, but in the best of interest of baseball must be done.

In no uncertain terms, Lew Wolff refuses to support the A’s while they remain in Oakland. His refusal to put money into the team while they remain in O.Co Coliseum has meant a slow, yet very obvious downturn in the quality of talent and baseball in the East Bay. This is bad for Northern California baseball, but also for the MLB as a whole.

The annual Billy Beane sell off of top talent must stop. The Giants have a strong enough fan base that their numbers and profit will likely be minimally hurt. After all, they did sell out almost every game last year and currently have a waiting list for season tickets.

Because this move makes so much sense for the game of baseball, by late March/early April the Giants will have allowed the A’s to begin their move.