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SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Giants will contend in '10

By Tom Stern

It's hard to believe, but a year ago, a lot of Giants fans were angry that general manager Brian Sabean didn't sign Manny Ramirez. Those same fans are breathing a sigh of relief now. An erratic slugger on the downside might have been ruinous to this appealing squad of hustlers and scrappers.

After some lean years, AT&T Park was again the place to be last season. But it was also the home of the S.F. Hapless Hackers. The Giants finished at or near the bottom (of both leagues) in most major offensive categories. Fans hope the adjustments they made in the off-season will generate enough offense to give their fine pitching staff a little breathing room.

The team scored a scant 657 runs in '09; getting 100 more this year could mean October baseball by the bay.

Sabean's major moves were re-signing catcher Bengie Molina and infielder Juan Uribe, and acquiring two sturdy veterans, first baseman Aubrey Huff and infielder-outfielder Mark DeRosa. Huff, 33, spent most of his career on weak American League teams, where he was a dangerous hitter who hit for average with some pop. DeRosa, 35, has hit a decent .274 over a big-league career that began in 1998, but has made as many as 400 plate appearances in only four seasons. Both players had sub-par years in 2009, but they are upbeat, personable guys whose veteran leadership could help the likes of John Bowker, Nate Schierholtz, Eugenio Velez, Andres Torres and Travis Ishikawa step their game up.

With Huff, DeRosa, Molina, shortstop Edgar Renteria, center fielder Aaron Rowand and second baseman Freddy Sanchez, most of the Giants' everyday lineup is well past 30. If they are to contend, manager Bruce Bochy will have to rely on his bench to keep the veterans fresh and able to avoid injury. Exhibit A is Sanchez, who arrived late last season and has been gimpy ever since. The team spent the first month without him, but the steady Uribe lessened that blow.

With team leader Molina back, the Giants sent top prospect Buster Posey down for more seasoning. Posey is the catcher of the future, but can play first base and other positions, too, and his hitting prowess impressed many in spring training. So how long can an offense-challenged contending team afford to be without him? Expect him back by June.

Rowand began the year hitting leadoff, but he's out of place at No. 1, and it's hard to imagine that Torres or Velez won't be put there at some point. (Both saw time in center early on, after Rowand's face was remodeled by a purpose pitch from Dodgers bomb-thrower Vicente Padilla.) Torres is a no-nonsense dirty-uniform guy. Velez has shown flashes of brilliance, but after he struggled early this season, a lot of fans hoping for the next Rickey Henderson wondered if they'd landed the next Ricky Martin instead.

The outfield is a big question mark. In right field, Bowker got the early nod. He plays the position adequately, and wielded a big bat in the minors, but got off to a very slow start. Schierholtz is a better fielder, with a great arm, and many feel this could be his breakout year. Rowand will be the center fielder as long as he can walk (with Torres and Velez in the wings). The versatile DeRosa was slated for left field, despite his having been an infielder most of his career.

That adds up to a not-too-speedy outfield with not too much power, a relatively low on-base percentage and untested reserves. So the Giants are leaning heavily on their infield for run production. Huff is key here. If he falters, the team will have only two power threats, Molina and young third baseman Pablo "Panda" Sandoval. For Panda-val to continue his impressive development into a legitimate superstar, the team has to heed new batting coach Hensley Meulens and become smarter, more selective hitters. If the rest of the lineup has no plate credibility, pitchers will throw Molina and Sandoval nothing but slop all year. Which they need to stop swinging at.

The Giants' pitching is considered their strong point, but a lot has to go right. Following peerless two-time Cy Young Award-winning Tim Lincecum and the almost as nasty Matt Cain are Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez and Todd Wellemeyer. Zito is hard to figure. At his best he's won a Cy Young. At his worst, he's the hurler who makes everyone want to hurl. Sanchez can throw a no-hitter, then come back next time and throw a no-striker. The journeyman Wellemeyer had a rough April and may be gone as you read this. He was only here because the highly touted young lefty Madison Bumgarner's express train to stardom went off the rails in March.

The bullpen looks OK: set-up man Jeremy Affeldt to closer Brian Wilson is a proven formula, and Brandon Medders, Sergio Romo, Dan Runzler and grizzled veteran Guillermo Mota should be fine.

The NL West is up for grabs. Colorado's who's-the-closer Rockies figure to be the Giants' chief rivals. They have good pitching, good hitting and manager Jim Tracy, whom the players believe in and play hard for. Defending champs the Dodgers have a solid starting eight, but also epic off-field distractions and questions in the starting rotation. Arizona showed a lot of promise a few years ago, but it hasn't panned out, despite the Diamondbacks' one-two punch of starting pitchers Dan Haren and Brandon Webb. The streaky Padres always seems a year or two away (but they sure play the Giants tough in Petco Park). In Adrian Gonzalez, low-payroll San Diego has one of the game's most promising young supersluggers (though rumors had him headed to Boston).

Meanwhile, if the Giants win 90, they can win the West.