Every Major League Baseball fan cherishes this day. It’s the first day of the season. Opening Day.
Everyone is in first place, everyone has a chance at the World Series, and everyone is anxious to see the team come out to perform and show everyone what the year will be like.
We can’t forget about spring training, however. That’s when the rosters are set and we learn of players overcoming injuries or players that have fallen victim to them.
Perhaps the item on the forefront of all San Francisco Giants fans mind’s is the health of catcher Buster Posey.
[caption id="attachment_183" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Buster Posey sets to return for the Giants with a hot bat through Spring Training. Photo by Tumblr.com."]
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In 16 games played this spring, Posey went 13-40, batting .325 with a slugging percentage of .500. He also had 4 doubles and 5 RBI’s.
Granted, this is spring training and he’s facing pitchers that may not be in the majors come opening day, but to see Posey back on the field and hitting the ball well is a welcome sight to all Giants fans.
The main question is Posey’s durability behind the plate, and how much time he will spend down at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy has opted to keep only 2 catchers on his roster, thinking that Posey is healthy enough to play catcher a majority of the time while shifting down to first base on his days off from behind the dish.
The other catcher on the opening day roster with Posey is 22-year-old catcher Hector Sanchez. In 21 games played for the spring, Sanchez hit .383 with a .702 slugging percentage, 4 home runs and 10 RBIs.
The “problem” with Sanchez is his defensive ability, as many thought that the Giants would use a 3-catcher roster by keeping either Eli Whiteside or Chris Stewart on the roster with Posey and Sanchez.
It appears that the Giants are very confident in Sanchez, as Bochy told Comcast SportsNet that he was impressed by the “big strides” he has made behind the plate.
Since announcing the rosters, the Giants have traded Stewart to the Yankees for righty George Kontos, and Whiteside optioned.
We’ve also learned that the Giants have made right-handed pitcher Matt Cain the highest paid righty in all of the MLB, signing him to a $112.5 million, 5-year extension with a $21 million option for the 2018 season.
[caption id="attachment_184" align="alignright" width="211" caption="Matt Cain signed a 5-year extension worth $112.5 with an option for the 2018 season. Photo courtesy of www.sfexaminer.com"]
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Cain showed in spring that he deserved it, as he led the National League in wins in the spring with 4 and was in the top 5 of pitchers for ERA with 2.10. Over the last three seasons, Cain has posted at least 12 wins and has been elected to the All-Star team twice.
Finishing the deal with Cain was crucial for the Giants, because if Cain would have tested free agency, the Giants would not have been able to compete with other teams that would love to add a solid right hander to their rotation.
One problem though is that Cain doesn’t always get the run support he needs. Cain has the ability to be a 16 or 17-game winner, he just needs some help from the plate.
This off-season, the Giants did there best to add some pop and run support to their lineup. They brought in Melky Cabrera from the Kansas City Royals in a trade for Jonathan Sanchez, and also acquired Angel Pagan from the New York Mets for Andres Torres.
Cabrera will help with some of the Giants offensive struggles, as he hit .305 last season with 18 home runs, 87 RBIs and 102 runs scored. He will start out hitting second this season, the spot before third baseman Pablo Sandoval. This could mean another great year of stats for one of the newest Giants.
[caption id="attachment_186" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Melky Cabrera was acquired this offseason for Jonathan Sanchez and a minor league pitcher. Photo courtesy of sacramento.cbslocal.com"]
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While Angel Pagan had a good season last year, (.262, 32 stolen bases, .322 on base percentage) he did not have a good spring, as he only hit .171 with 4 stolen bases. The Giants need Pagan to step up, as he is a major base stealing threat that can move into scoring position and give the Giants opportunities to provide run support for their pitching staff.
Bochy has made his decision on what the situation will be at first base, as Aubrey Huff will play left field while Brandon Belt and Brett Pill will share the time at first base. Belt will play and hit against righties, while Pill will be the starter against lefties.
The movement of Huff to the outfield, along with other off-season additions Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera, means that Nate Schierholtz is left out, who hit .200 for the spring with 3 stolen bases and 6 RBIs.
AT 35 years of age, Huff isn’t exactly a spring chicken, as he has lost speed over the years. But with the lighting-quick Pagan in center, he might be able to cover more ground to help out Huff.
Bochy hasn’t ruled out that things could change if it is not working, meaning we could see Huff return to first and either Belt or Schierholtz fill his void in the outfield.
Second base has also been up in the air while Freddy Sanchez is still sidelined with a shoulder injury he suffered last season, but it seems Bochy made his decision.
Ryan Theriot will get the start at second base, with Emmanuel Burriss as the back up. Theriot went 11-58, hitting .190 with 6 RBIs and 4 doubles. The release of Mike Fontenot during spring training essentially assured Theriot a roster spot, though Fontenot was hitting .278 through 13 games.
Burriss had seemingly earned his spot in the middle infield along with Brandon Crawford at shortstop, batting .288 in the spring with 5 stolen bases and a .356 on base percentage. Theriot is a lifetime 3-9 against Arizona starter Ian Kennedy, which could perhaps be the reason for the opening day start.
In all probability, today's opening day lineup will look something like this:
- Angel Pagan, CF
- Melky Cabrera, RF
- Pablo Sandoval, 3B
- Buster Posey, C
- Aubrey Huff, LF
- Brandon Belt, 1B
- Ryan Theriot, 2B
- Brandon Crawford, SS
- Tim Lincecum, RHP
All these moves and decisions, what do they mean? It means that the Giants are serious about making another playoff and potential World Series run. Last year’s injury-plagued season was a disappointment, and they have made strides to keep important pieces around while adding others that mesh well with their returning players.
It means the Giants have a good shot at winning the NL West title. It means they need to win.
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