San Francisco Giants: 5 Moves Giants Must Make To Reclaim NL West

To say that the Giants are a pure pitching team is an understatement; it’s like saying that our government could use a little debt relief or that the NBA lockout is bad for business.

The truth is that they may have the most complete staff in the majors, evidenced by the lowest batting average allowed (.232), second-fewest allowed earned runs (3.20) and arguably the worst lineup in baseball.

The team scored the second fewest runs (570) behind the second-lowest on-base percentage (.303) and fifth-lowest slugging percentage (.368), so there is so much room for improvement that no single player will balance the offensive equation.

Ballpark factors and financial considerations will have to be made, as expensive contracts to Barry Zito ($19 million in 2011), Aaron Rowand ($13.6 million) and Aubrey Huff ($10 million) are still on the books.

Here is a realistic look at some roster decisions that could help the Giants earn their way back to the World Series.

Forget the Top Slugging 1B Free Agents

Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder head the 2011 free agent class and will command contracts well into the nine-figure range at a position where the Giants already have an eight-figure player (Aubrey Huff) and a much-hyped prospect in Brandon Belt.

While 1B might be the most bat-friendly position in the National League, too many resources are committed to add an elite 1B.

Belt should be the 1B bat of the future with substantial power (9 HR in just 187 AB) and plate discipline at the tender age of 23. Huff should be no more than a RF/1B platoon player in his contract year.

Until Belt proves himself unworthy, he should be given every opportunity to excel.

Invest in a Capable Shortstop

The Miguel Tejada experiment ended with his employment on another team while Orlando Cabrera (.573 OPS) and Brandon Crawford (.584 OPS) didn’t fare much better.

The free agent market boasts Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins, but it is the opinion of this humble scribe that you don’t spend $100,000,000+ on either an injury-prone speedster (Reyes) or soon-to-be 33-year old SS with declining numbers in each of his last four seasons (Rollins).

For the money, Rafael Furcal is a better free agent option as his health concerns are sure to reduce any contract proposal to a single year, yet his bat, speed and arm are a significant upgrade from anything the Giants had in 2011.

The ideal scenario for the Giants, however, is to trade young assets for a proven veteran that would stop the shortstop carousel.

Hanley Ramirez becomes a prime buy-low candidate if the Marlins make good on their intention to sign Jose Reyes, as Ramirez is one of the most talented players in MLB but whose suspect attitude may have worn out its welcome in Miami.

A far less expensive option is Marco Scutaro, whose six-million dollar option for 2012 was just picked up. Scutaro is a capable defensive presence with a solid bat who could be playing behind Jed Lowrie this summer; he would be far better-utilized in AT&T Park.

Ease the Pressure on Buster Posey by Adding Another Catcher

The Giants' season took an insurmountable hit when franchise catcher Buster Posey was taken out for the season after a home-plate collision in May. This led to backup Eli Whiteside taking his place, which didn't work out too well, as he finished the season with a brutal .574 OPS.

Posey still expects to return in time for spring training but any setback would be a disaster and to go forward without a solid backup is quite the roll of the dice for a team with World Series aspirations.

The free-agent market is almost completely barren of catching prospects and it wouldn’t make sense to trade for anything long-term with Posey a possible All-Star for the next decade.

Ryan Doumit, the Pirates former backstop, could make a lot of sense for the team as his bat (.830 OPS in 2011) would contribute in a pinch-hitting/utility role and his legitimate defensive shortcomings could be minimized with Whiteside’s solid defense behind the plate.

Doumit is currently being sold as a DH/C/1B/LF composite and the Giants' part-time need at catcher makes the team an ideal fit.

Sign a Patient Power Bat in the Outfield

The Giants traded elite pitching prospect Zach Wheeler to the New York Mets for Carlos Beltran and are likely to lose the former All-Star as his contract prohibits the Giants from offering salary arbitration and therefore receiving compensatory picks should he sign elsewhere.

Beltran is a favorite to replace JD Drew in the Red Sox right field and instead of challenging Boston’s deep pockets for the injury-prone 34-year-old, the Giants would be better-served looking elsewhere.

The recent offseason trade of the erratic Jonathan Sanchez for CF Melky Cabrera was a necessary step in the right direction as the current Giants lack any intimidating OF bat.

Incumbents Cody Ross and Pat Burrell are free agents as the Giants declined their options and returning role players Andres Torres (.294 OPS) and Nate Schierholtz (.331 slugging) are far from complete. The Giants would be wise to reallocate the dollars spent on Ross and Burrell to a powerful corner outfielder like Michael Cuddyer or Josh Willingham.

Cuddyer might fetch a pretty penny as the righty bat to protect Pablo Sandoval but Willingham could be the better buy-low, right-handed option. He’s said to be more comfortable in the National League and he combines 30 HR-power with an extremely patient bat.

Either player is affordable and both would fit perfectly in the middle of the Giants order.

Keep the Top of the Rotation Intact

Trading Sanchez was a solid move but the Giants' true strength is in their twin aces, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum.

Spacious AT&T Park is a pitchers' paradise and it’s no coincidence that the Giants exert their dominance on that side of the ball.

All these suggested moves are predicated upon winning the numerous pitching duels ahead, and if the Giants played in the AL East rather than the NL West, there might be far more pressure to sign an elite bat. None are necessary if you can get to the playoffs with capable-but-unspectacular bats as the Cain-Lincecum combination strikes fear in the heart of any 5 or 7-game series opponent.

The rotation is strong enough to make San Francisco substantial contenders with even a mediocre order and with Scutaro, Doumit and Willingham replacing sub-standard competition, the Giants would be exactly that.