Charlie Klein
Key Additions:
Bengie Molina (C)
Mark DeRosa (IF/LF)
Aubrey Huff (1B/3B)
Todd Wellemeyer (SP)
Guillermo Mota (RP)
Key Departures
Ryan Garko (1B)
I am a big fan of the way the San Francisco Giants have built their organization. Stocked with young arms in the system along with a decent lineup could lead to big success this year in the most competitive division in baseball. While the arbitration talks the Giants had with their two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum were less than amicable, I don't expect them to have much of an affect on Lincecum going into 2010. The big criticism of last year's Giants was that they did not have the hitting necessary to make the postseason; which ended up true as the Giants finished third in the NL West.
General Manager Brian Sabean recognized this offensive deficiency and sought to rectify it by signing Mark DeRosa and Aubrey Huff. DeRosa hit 23 homeruns last season while knocking in 78. The former Indian also provides great versatility for manager Bruce Bochy as DeRosa can play almost any position in the field. Meanwhile, Huff is no slouch either. Huff hit 15 homeruns last season with 85 RBIs, and is only one season removed from a 30+ homerun season.
Re-signing Bengie Molina was also a major boon for Sabean. At the plate Molina hit for a .260 average with 20 homeruns and 80 RBIs. Behind it he caught one of the best rotations in baseball and his experience will be important for the development of Madison Bumgarner, the diamond in the Giants crown of pitching prospects. Bumgarner's fastball peaks at 95 mph and his career numbers in the minors are astounding. Bumgarner is a career 27-5 with a 1.65 ERA, .97 WHIP in 273 innings-pitched.
The talent the Giants already have on the roster is enough of a reason to expect great things from them this season. The emergence of the Kung-Fu Panda, pictured below, otherwise known as Pablo Sandoval was key in the Giants scoring any runs at all last season. Sandoval hit for a .330 average with 25 homeruns and 90 RBIs. His stats will only improve this season with better protection around him.
I am going to make my first bold prediction of these previews and claim at this point in time, I believe the Giants are going to win the NL West. No team has a true lock on the division this year with the Dodgers taking a step down this offseason, and a team that has this much good pitching is irresistible to me. If Madison Bumgarner turns into even half the player the Giants expect him to be, they will have one of the best 1-2-3's in the NL, if not in MLB.
Projected Starting Nine:
1. Freddy Sanchez (2B)
2. Edgar Renteria (SS)
3. Pablo Sandoval (3B)
4. Aubrey Huff (1B)
5. Aaron Rowand (CF)
6. Mark DeRosa (LF)
7. Bengie Molina (C)
8. Nick Schierholtz (RF)
9. Tim Lincecum (SP)
Projected Starting Rotation:
1. Tim Lincecum
2. Matt Cain
3. Barry Zito
4. Jonathan Sanchez
5. Madison Bumgarner
Best Reliever: Jeremy Affeldt
Closer: Brian Wilson
Predicted Finish: 1st in the NL West
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