San Francisco Giants: 5 Reasons to Look Forward to 2012 Season

Now that the San Francisco Giants have been mathematically eliminated from the 2011 postseason, it's time to look on the bright side and speculate why the Giants will have a bright season in 2012.

Even though the Giants failed to defend their World Series title from 2010, that doesn't really tell the whole story. It was a injury-plagued season for the Giants, and injuries have the ability to impede any teams' dreams of making a postseason run.

Moreover, players that the Giants were relying on to repeat their success from last year failed to do so. In 2010, Aubrey Huff, Andres Torres and Cody Ross all helped carry the Giants to their first World Series championship in 56 years. However, 2011 was a different story, and their underwhelming statistics have put their spot on the 2012 roster in danger.

However, the Giants will be given a fresh start next year, and here is a list of five reasons why we should look forward to the 2012 San Francisco Giants.

5. Pitching Staff Will Still Be There

To put it simply, the Giants will always be considered a World Series contender with the pitching staff that they possess.

With a pitching rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong, Jonathan Sanchez and possibly Eric Surkamp, the Giants will have a chance to win every game, despite their offensive struggles.

From the rotation to the bullpen, the Giants still have one of the best, if not the best in the business. Anchored by the beard in Brian Wilson, any lead the Giants have late in the game should be kept intact.

Even though Lincecum and Vogelsong are eligible for arbitration, I fully expect both of them to be back in 2012.

4. Jonathan Sanchez Will Finally Be Expendable

Trade rumors surrounding Jonathan Sanchez have been swirling around for years.

Sanchez is a talented pitcher with worlds of potential, but his unpredictability has made the Giants consider trading him for quite some time now. However, the Giants are built around pitching, so they were probably reluctant to trade away one of the more valuable pieces in the rotation.

Enter Ryan Vogelsong and Eric Surkamp.

After Vogelsong's Cinderella 2011 season, and Surkamp's impressive year in both AA and San Francisco, Sanchez is finally expendable. He would be a valuable trade asset that any team would covet, especially considering the demand in MLB for a left-handed pitcher with strikeout stuff.

Based on Sanchez's potential alone, the Giants could trade him for an impact bat during the offseason.

3. Giants Could Be Players in Free Agency

After the $20 million or so the Giants will have coming off the books during the offseason, they could very well become players in the free-agent market.

Moreover, the previously mentioned $20 million is only based on the expiring contracts and doesn't even include the amount of revenue the Giants accumulated in their post-World Series season.

However, one underlying problem that could deter the Giants from spending money on free agents is the necessity of re-signing their own key players. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval and Brian Wilson must be the first priorities for the Giants, and signing other expensive players could prevent them from locking up their own long-term.

However, the truth of the matter is that the Giants do have the money. It will just come down to whether or not they want to increase their payroll and be breathed in the same sentence as the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Free-Agent Idea 1: Re-Sign Carlos Beltran

It will be tough to do because Carlos Beltran has already stated that he will only consider returning to the Giants if they improve their offense.

And no, the return of Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez does not mean improving the offense, according to Beltran.

He specifically mentioned the Giants' need for a leadoff hitter, someone to set the table for the beef in the middle of the lineup. The Giants lacked a prototypical leadoff hitter this past season, and its impact on the offense was noticeable.

However, one thing that should alarm the Giants is the type of contract that Beltran will be demanding. If he is truly seeking a five-year deal, the Giants should let him walk. There is no way that a 34-year-old, injury-ridden player should be rewarded with a five-year deal worth around $70-$90 million.

However, if the Giants could work the deal down to a two- or three-year contract, they should jump at the opportunity.

Free-Agent Idea 2: Sign Michael Bourn

If Beltran wants the Giants to acquire a leadoff hitter, Michael Bourn is the right man for the job.

Bourn is everything you want in a leadoff hitter, and his defensive abilities would perfectly complement the spacious outfield in AT&T Park.

He is currently batting .293, with an OBP of .347 to go along with 58 stolen bases.

The best thing about signing Bourn would be is affordability. He won't be cheap so to speak, but considering the amount of money teams are spending in free agency these days, the Giants won't have to break the bank in order to reel in Bourn. And at only 28 years old, he will still have a few more years left in his prime.

Free-Agent Idea 3: Sign Coco Crisp

Coco Crisp is the best free-agent prospect that no one is talking about.

Crisp is currently in the middle of his best all-around season in his career. He is currently batting .267, but he has stolen 46 bases and has been caught only nine times.

Best yet, Crisp could be had for relatively nothing, considering the type of money that other leadoff hitters have gotten in the past.

Bourn should obviously be the first choice for the Giants, but Crisp would undoubtedly be a great alternative.

4. The Target Should Be off of the Giants Back

The toughest thing to do in all of sports is to repeat as champions.

It's much easier to fly under the radar and surprise everyone for a year, and that is exactly what the Giants did in 2010. However, 2011 was a completely different story, and no one took the Giants lightly. They had the target on their back, and every team gave them their best in an attempt to take down the defending champions.

The injuries the Giants sustained were unquestionably the predominant reason they couldn't reach the postseason in 2011. However, how much pressure the Giants felt this season has yet to be determined.

Plus, I'm sure the making of the television show The Franchise didn't help the Giants relax and not feel the pressure. It's hard for professional MLB players to concentrate on baseball year-round. So it must have been even tougher for the Giants to defend their World Series championship while having cameras follow them around all day.

5. Everyone Should Be Healthy

Injuries, injuries and some more injuries.

This was the underlying theme of the 2011 season for the Giants, and ultimately the reason why they were not able to repeat as World Series champions.

The Giants placed 22 different players on the disabled list throughout the season, and that doesn't even include everyone who missed a significant amount of time due to injury. Every single position player from the opening day lineup—besides Aubrey Huff, who was arguably the most disappointing player on the team—was placed on the disabled list at one point. Heck, even Huff himself has missed time due to injuries this year.

So what do the Giants have to look forward to in 2012?

Health, of course!

Buster Posey will most likely be back in the squat, and Freddy Sanchez will be back at second base at the start of the season. Both of those players will significantly improve the Giants' inept offense.