San Francisco Giants: 6 Priorities for the Remainder of the Offseason

With the winter meetings just around the corner, the San Francisco Giants have quite a few things left to do before they call the 2012 offseason a wrap.

It's highly unlikely that the Giants will make a huge splash in the free-agent market, and the Giants' front office has practically came out and said so.

However, that doesn't mean it has to be an unproductive offseason just because Albert Pujols or Jose Reyes won't be wearing an orange SF on their caps come May.

The Giants have some internal questions they need to address before the start of the regular season, and the most notable one is clearly the Tim Lincecum dilemma.

However, the Giants will be forced to make some crucial decisions that will largely impact their success in 2012 and beyond.

Here's a list of the top six priorities the Giants must take care of during the remainder of the offseason.

6) Make Sure Pablo Sandoval Stays with

Pablo Sandoval must do everything in his power to stay motivated about staying fit if the Giants want to seriously contend in 2012.

Pablo Sandoval is the Giants best hitter, and that's even with a healthy Buster Posey in the lineup. He has all the physical tools to become one of the league's most-feared hitters, but there's only one thing holding him back: his weight problems.

Last year, Sandoval underwent "Operation Panda" in which he lost 40 pounds during the offseason. That translated into a successful 2011 season both offensively and defensively. The weight loss was especially noticeable on defense when Sandoval was able to move nimbly around third base and make some extremely athletic plays.

As for "Operation Panda 2," early indications are so far, so good.

As stated in the article, Sandoval also got his vision corrected this offseason. Maybe that's why he had been swinging at fastballs five feet above his head throughout his career...

Either way, the Giants will need a fit and healthy Sandoval in 2012. And it's up to the Giants in order to ensure that Sandoval keeps on track and tries to build upon his success in 2011.

5) Refrain from Signing Any Shortstops on the Free-Agent Market (Alex Gonzalez)

We are currently in a period of time when MLB has run dry of talent at the shortstop position. So when the talent pool runs dry, overpaying in free agency is inevitable, and that's exactly what is going to happen this offseason.

Jose Reyes would receive a $100 million contract during any free-agency year, so I'll leave him out of the equation. However, players like Jimmy Rollins, Rafael Furcal and Alex Gonzalez will be receiving much more attention than they actually deserve.

So with a "hole" at the shortstop position, the Giants are allegedly shopping around for a veteran to fill that void, much like Miguel Tejada situation of last year. 

In steps Alex Gonzalez, who the Giants have reportedly expressed interest this past week.

This could be one of the worst decisions Brian Sabean made this offseason, especially because it would indicate that he didn't learn from his mistakes last year.

To put it simply, Gonzalez is a horrific hitter. He has a serious inability to get on base, and his only real worth is with his glove.

But what makes this so confusing is that Gonzalez doesn't sound that much better than the Giants' current option at shortstop, Brandon Crawford.

Crawford has been playing well in the Arizona fall league, and at least has the upside of becoming a well-rounded shortstop as oppose to Gonzalez.

You know what you're going to get with Gonzalez, and that's a .240 batting average and a sub-three on-base percentage.

No thanks.

4) Don't Re-Sign Brian Wilson to Long-Term Contract Just Yet

Brian Wilson currently has one year remaining on his two-year contract that he signed at the beginning of 2011.

He's arguably the face of the franchise from a marketing standpoint—even though Lincecum or Sandoval would object to that—and he's also the best closer the Giants have had since Robb Nen. That statement is all the more significant when you look at the problems the Giants have had at the closer position since Nen retired.

However, extending closers to pricey contracts is always a risk.

Injuries prohibited Wilson from catching his stride throughout the season, and it's something that should worry the Giants, especially when a $30 million contract is being discussed.

The Giants should wait another year before rewarding Wilson with a long-term contract and make him prove that he has recovered from the nagging injuries he battled in 2011.

If not, Sergio Romo is more than capable of taking over as the Giants' closer, and it would be a much wiser decision to do so financially.

Even though Brian Wilson is a fan favorite and a huge marketing ploy, that's not a good enough excuse to throw top-closer type of money his way just yet.

3) Trade Relief Pitching/Prospects to Marlins for Emilio Bonifacio

The Giants currently have a quarter of their payroll devoted to the bullpen, and that's largely due in part to Jeremy Affeldt and Ramon Ramirez.

The Giants just picked up the $5 million option on Affeldt, and many thought that was way too much money for a middle reliever, especially one of Affeldt's caliber.

Now, the Giants are interested in moving one/both of these players in order to obtain a bat, and that bat should be Emilio Bonifacio from the Miami Marlins.

Trading for Bonifacio actually makes sense in a lot of ways, but it will likely take more than just a relief pitcher to pry him from the Marlins.

The Giants are seeking a middle infielder with the likely departures of Mike Fontenot and Jeff Keppinger. Bonifacio could be that player and even the everyday starter at shortstop if needed.

Second, the Giants are in desperate need to a leadoff hitter even though Melky Cabrera is currently slated to be batting first on Opening Day. However, Bonifacio is much more qualified for leadoff duties due to his .360 OBP and 40 stolen bases in 2011.

Lastly, the Marlins just signed Jose Reyes to a long-term contract, so their situation at the middle infield position is a bit crowded at the moment. The Marlins could be looking to move Bonifacio and bolster their bullpen at the same time.

2) Re-Sign Carlos Beltran

Many thought that re-signing Carlos Beltran during the offseason wouldn't be in the realm of possibility after the Giants traded for him during the season. However, things are shaping up quite nicely for the Giants being able to retain him.

Beltran came out and stated that he wants the Giants to acquire another bat during the offseason in order to entice him into coming back. Whether or not Melky Cabrera is that bat is up for debate, but the Giants have something else going for them as well.

The reason Beltran will be back with the Giants is Brain Sabean and his knack for overpaying players in free agency. On top of that, Sabean won't want to accept that trading his top prospect for a rental player was a mistake.

In order to temperate the frustration of seeing Wheeler in the New York Mets organization, he'll throw all sorts of money Beltran's way in order to make the trade look a little better from the Giants perspective.

And to be honest, I have no problem with that, as long as it's no more than a three-year, $30 million contract or somewhere in that range.

With a healthy Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez returning to the lineup and an outfield consisting of Beltran, Cabrera and Nate Schierholtz, the Giants offense wouldn't look nearly as bad as it has in the past.

1) Lock Up Lincecum and Cain

The Giants must make keeping Lincecum and Cain in San Francisco well past the 2012 season their top priority this offseason.

It's also not a secret since the Giants have publicly stated that it's their top priority.

If Lincecum is able to get his two-year contract that he desires and Cain agrees to a six-year contract around roughly $100 million, it will be considered more than a successful 2012 offseason for the Giants.

However, it might not be that simple.

The first question will be where the Giants will get the funds to spend around $35 million a season between the two aces. The Giants are aiming to keep the payroll around $120 million for 2012, which would be nearly impossible if they were to re-sign both Lincecum and Cain this offseason.

Even if the Giants decide to rise above the $120 million mark by re-signing Lincecum and Cain, it assures that they will not even think about making a splash in free agency.

And Giants fans shouldn't have a problem with that. Retaining both Lincecum and Cain for the long-term is much more important than throwing $120 million at Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols.

Secondly, will Lincecum and Cain even want to come back in the first place? I would assume so, but who knows how frustrated they have grown with having an inept offense attempt to score runs for them.