Giants must address questions in spring training
Rejoice.
Baseball is back. Almost. Giants pitchers and catchers hold their first workout in Scottsdale on Thursday, and position players join them a few days later. Between then and Opening Day in the Bronx on March 30, they have some outstanding questions that need to be resolved following a disappointing .500 season and an offseason for the history books (hey, no one said you had to read them).
DID THE GIANTS REALLY GET YOUNGER AND MORE ATHLETIC? >> The Giants had the oldest group of position players in the National League last year, and it showed. By many metrics, they were also the worst fielding group in the game, or close to it.
It was clear, to Zaidi and outside observers, that they needed to upgrade their defense.
The Giants added a pair of everyday corner outfielders (in Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger), but none of their six freeagent additions play a premium, up-the-middle position, leaving the tandem of Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater in center and nobody to help manage Brandon Crawford's workload at shortstop. They should benefit from Joc Pederson primarily DHing, and they're hopeful about LaMonte Wade Jr.'s athleticism translating to first base, though Brandon Belt leaves big shoes to fill (size 15, to be exact).
“Some of the improvements defensively will be more subtle,” Zaidi said in January. “When we go around our defense now, we see everybody as average or potentially above average defensively. If we can have that kind of floor, that's where the improvement is
going to come from.”
HOW WILL BRANDON CRAWFORD HANDLE THE OFFSEASON TURMOIL? >>
Speaking of Crawford, nobody was more directly impacted by the back-and-forth with Carlos Correa than the Giants' franchise shortstop (who, with Belt's departure, is also their last remaining link to their World Series title teams). Barring unforeseen circumstances, he will make his 12th straight Opening Day start at shortstop.
It didn't always look that way this offseason.
Soon after Correa signed his initial contract, Zaidi and Gabe Kapler were on the phone with Crawford, discussing his move to third base. A few weeks later, when the saga was over at last and Correa had re-signed with Minnesota, Crawford was back as the Giants' starting shortstop, the only job he's ever held and the only one he's ever wanted since being raised a Giants fan in Pleasanton.
“I'm sure it was a frustrating and confusing period for him,” Zaidi said in December. “… I don't think we could've prioritized that communication any higher than we did. It's a big part of his identity being the shortstop of this team. I think we understood his disappointment. He wanted to understand what it meant for him and where he would be playing, and we tried to explain that the best that we could. Look, it didn't work out, and he's our shortstop now. We want and expect to be a playoff team. We know he's motivated to have a great season. …
“I'm guessing he's happy to be back at his natural spot. If there's some awkward or negative feelings from the past couple weeks, hopefully we can turn the page when we get to spring training. We all want the same thing, which is success for this team.”