Pagan, the projected starting left fielder, didn't really have a choice in the matter. The Giants signed Span, a free agent, to a three-year, $31 million contract last month specifically to provide an upgrade over Pagan. But Pagan, who's in the final year of a four-year, $40 million contract, could have poisoned the clubhouse atmosphere by sulking.
Instead, Pagan earnestly said that he's "on board 100 percent" with the change. This continued the pattern of Giants players willingly stepping aside to accommodate a newcomer or accept a diminished role.