San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
GIANTS BREAKDOWN
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scott Harris, the Giants’ general manager, found spring training instructive both for the present and beyond.
“One common theme is that the first few innings are filled with veterans who are projected to make our majorleague roster, and then the last few innings are filled with young prospects,” Harris said. “We get to watch our projected roster take shape and we get to watch our future take shape. And I will say that the reason that’s so exciting for us is because it’s emblematic of the direction that this organization is heading.
“We’re focused on strengthening both the present and the future, and the amount of talent we’re running out there every day in spring training is an indication that it’s working, and we are adding the type of talent that’s going to help us both now and in the future.”
Now and later: That’s the sweet spot for San Francisco’s season, wrapped up neatly throughout camp at Scottsdale Stadium. Threetime World Series champion catcher Buster Posey is back in action after sitting out last year, and third baseman Evan Longoria, entering his 14th season, is showing signs of an offensive resurgence. The team’s top prospects, shortstop Marco Luciano and outfielder Heliot Ramos, got plenty of playing time with varying results. Luciano, 19, isn’t ready to hit bigleague pitching, which is to be expected, but Ramos, 21, looks close.
This is team transition, with Posey, shortstop Brandon Crawford and first baseman Brandon Belt representing the Giants’ brilliant past — and all in the final year of their contracts — and starter Johnny Cueto unlikely to have his option for 2022 picked up. None of the projected rotation members are under team control beyond this season except for righthander Logan Webb, who at 24 appears to be putting everything together, a potential standout for years to come.
Where does this leave the Giants from a competitive standpoint this year? With the Dodgers and Padres overwhelming favorites for playoff spots, San Francisco wouldn’t be considered a postseason contender unless expanded playoffs are approved. But the team — which finished one win shy of a playoff berth last year — has a chance to keep things interesting. Belt said he believes other teams will sleep on the Giants, at their peril. “It’s what we’re used to,” he said. “It could be to our advantage.”
There’s little doubt that the most encouraging aspect of the Giants’ game this spring has been the offense, which makes sense given the emphasis placed on adding hitters such as Tommy La Stella who are adept at working counts and making good contact. The team has been among the leaders in onbase percentage all spring, though that hasn’t necessarily translated to runs; through Thursday’s game, the Giants had scored 116, tied for 11th in the majors.
Versatility is a clear priority. San Francisco has a wealth of players such as La Stella who can play multiple positions, none of them at an elite level but with competence. The defense, therefore, might leave something to be desired: A shortstop, Mauricio Dubón, is the team’s best centerfield option; and La Stella, Wilmer Flores, Donovan Solano and at some point, potentially, Jason Vosler will bounce around the infield.
The Giants learned last year what a porous defense can do: The team made 21 errors in the first 21 games of the shortened season, en route to an 816 start.
“Last year we were a little shaky defensively in the first couple of weeks of the season, but I should credit the coaches for making sure that the players were doing extra early work to shore up our defense midseason last year — I think that’s one of the reasons why we started to get hot and climb back into the race,” Harris said. “That’s still an area of focus for us; we need to make sure that we are putting in enough work defensively, but also that we are strategically using shifts to cover any defensive weaknesses we have.”
A strong defense means a stronger pitching staff, though the Giants’ largely veteran rotation is unlikely to be rattled. Barring injuries or major underperformance, the team goes at least six deep, with Kevin Gausman, Cueto, Anthony DeSclafani, Webb, Alex Wood and Aaron Sanchez. Scott Kazmir and Nick Tropeano are options at TripleA Sacramento or available in long relief. A sixman rotation is unlikely, but Wood is coming off a spinal ablation procedure and might be brought along a little more slowly.
Although the Giants lack significant starter depth, they do have options in what could be an unusual bullpen. Lefty-heavy in relief last season, they might be even more so this year with Jake McGee likely to get the bulk of save opportunities.
One area the Giants emphasized this spring and showed improvement: baserunning, specifically stealing bases. They had 23 through 24 games, tied for second most in the majors, and appear as if they’re ready to employ their speed more liberally during the regular season.
“They might be a little better than people expect,” said one AL scout who saw the Giants numerous times this spring. “I think they’ll hit. There are some question marks elsewhere, but they’ll outscore some teams for sure.”
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