The San Francisco Giants are still riding the momentum from their third World Series win in five years, but attention is now turning towards next season: can the Giants defend their title, or will the odd/even year jinx strike again?
Here are the Giants' three biggest question marks heading into 2015:
Can Casey McGehee replace Pablo Sandoval's production?
It's unrealistic to think McGehee can replace Sandoval in the hearts of the fans - or make them forget about the player who became a local legend in seven seasons with the team - but McGehee will need to make up Panda's numbers if the Giants want to make another deep playoff run. A journeyman who revitalized his career in Japan in 2013, then had a solid 2014 with the Florida Marlins, McGehee is still a bit of a wild card when it comes to 2015 forecasts.
In about the same number of plate appearances as Sandoval in 2014 (McGehee had 616 to Sandoval's 588), McGehee had more hits, doubles and RBI but fewer runs and home runs while striking out more. McGehee's 2014 slash line of .287/.355/.357 isn't too far off from Sandoval's .279/.324/.415, and the biggest difference between the two players is McGehee's comparative lack of power.
What happens to Tim Lincecum?
The Freak pitched his lowest number of innings since his rookie year in 2014, and both casual fans and sabermetrics experts have agreed he just isn't the same player who won two Cy Youngs before his 25th birthday. San Francisco's rotation looked just fine without him in 2014, and with Yusmeiro Petit ready to step into a starting role, there just won't be room for Lincecum barring some magical return to form.
Moving him to the bullpen is one option, but with Lincecum set to make $18,000,000 next year, he'd make one awfully expensive reliever (his control issues and waning fastball also make that a shaky proposition at best). Unfortunately, moving his contract is a non-starter, and the Giants may have no choice but to bite the bullet and pay him big money without getting much back in return.
Can the Giants contend in a year that doesn't end with an even number?
After the 2010 and 2012 titles, the Giants failed to make the playoffs the next year. It seems bizarre to treat such a statistical oddity as significant, but there are plenty of fans out there who won't care a bit if the Giants miss the 2015 playoffs - to them, that just guarantees they'll be winning the 2016 World Series. In reality, the Giants are still a clutch, talented team, but there are a number of question marks and missing pieces separating them from another title run. Unless they can find some answers in the short-term, a 2016 World Series run would be the most unexpected miracle yet.
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