Should the San Francisco Giants Be Worried About Hector Sanchez?

The news out of San Francisco Giants spring training has only been negative for backup catcher Hector Sanchez.  The 23-year-old showed up overweight to camp, then injuries have limited his play during arguably the most crucial period of spring.

Sanchez’s spot on the Giants’ 25-man roster is by no means guaranteed, and there are a handful of catchers in the Giants organization that are playing well enough to at least tempt manager Bruce Bochy into starting the season without Sanchez to relieve Buster Posey behind the plate.

“We’ve got to keep it competitive,” Bochy said, per CSN Bay Area’s Andrew Baggarly. “That’s the best way to go. There’s no jobs given out here and these guys know it.”

The handful of players competing for Sanchez’s spot are all having arguably the best springs of any players on the Giants’ roster. 26-year-old Johnny Monell has had the most eye-opening spring, batting .600 with nine hits and five RBI in 15 plate appearances. Although his defense could potentially ruin his chances of starting the season in San Francisco, his bat has become a constant force throughout spring training, something the Giants could use in place of Sanchez if injuries continue to limit his playing time over the next few weeks.

Guillermo Quiroz, 31, is another prospect whose bat has been impressive, and he has the upper hand on Monell defensively. Through 15 games of spring training, Quiroz is batting .333 with five hits and six RBI.

In addition to the two front-runners to replace Sanchez, if that is indeed what Bochy and the Giants decide to do, catchers Jackson Williams and Tyler La Torre will also get sufficient looks from the coaching staff. Williams is the man behind the plate for AAA-Fresno, and La Torre’s production for the surprising Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic will earn him nothing but opportunities as spring training wraps up in the coming weeks.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea is reporting that Bochy is leaning towards the more experienced catchers if Sanchez needs more time to recover from injury.

“Manager Bruce Bochy said there's "some concern at this point" about whether Sanchez can be the No. 2 catcher behind Posey and mentioned Guillermo Quiroz, who has played 103 games for five big-league teams, and Jackson Williams as possible replacements.”
 

Bochy has decent options to backup Posey at catcher to start the regular season, but the bigger issue is Sanchez’s condition. Although his injury status does not appear to be serious, his .211 batting average in 19 games this spring is. Sanchez will need to recover and regroup if the Giants are to see a more experienced and productive backup catcher at any point in the regular season.

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San Francisco Giants Show Support for Super Bowl-Bound 49ers on Twitter

The 2012 World Series champs are taking sides in Super Bowl XLVII. Coincidentally, they're firmly planted behind the team that so happens to call San Francisco home, as well.  Giants players have taken to Twitter since watching the 49ers defeat the Atlanta Falcons and advance to the Super Bowl on Feb. 3., showing their support for San Francisco and the Bay Area's recent success in sports.

What excitement that the @49ers have brought to this city! Congrats to the whole @49ers organization! #onemore #QuestforSix thats whats up!!
— Sergio Romo (@SergioRomo54) January 21, 2013

Congrats to the 49ers. Looking forward to the Super Bowl!! -Buster
— Buster Posey (@BusterPosey) January 21, 2013

Alex, moonwalk your way down Market St. w an SF hat & Lombardi trophy & i'll take care of the fines you rack up @49ers twitter.com/BrianWilson38/…
— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38) September 20, 2012

Niners!!! #SuperBowl #SFWinsChampionships
— Brandon Crawford (@bcraw35) January 20, 2013

Well looks like SF is gonna have to have TWO Champions this year! #SFGiants #49ers
— George Kontos (@G_Kontos) January 21, 2013

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Report: Posey Not Playing For Team USA in World Baseball Classic

Buster Posey said during the MLB playoffs that he would like to play for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic that starts in March, but that will not be the case.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman, Posey is reportedly playing it safe by staying away from the WBC in order to focus
on his health for next season. He is coming off a season in which he won the batting title, MVP award and a World Series title, along with countless other awards.

Presumably, the major reason for his absence from Team USA would be the huge pay day coming his way. It would be a pay day from the Giants that could reach $20 million per year for well over five years.

Ryan Vogelsong has reportedly confirmed that he will be playing in the WBC for Team USA, and Pablo Sandoval is presumably ready to play for Venezuela. Schulman is also reporting that Jeremy Affeldt will pitch for Team USA.

The WBC gets started for the USA March 9 when they take on Italy at Chase Field in Arizona. The semifinals and finals of the tournament will be held at AT&T Park in San Francisco March 17-19.

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Locking Up Buster Posey: How Much Is Too Much For the San Francisco Giants?

Buster Posey's historic 2012 season earned him a box full of accolades, and with the Giants looking to spend money to lock up their respective free agents, this offseason may be the best time to lock up Posey as well.

How much do the Giants pay Posey? Probably the farm and then some -- but the years will be the most significant part of one of the biggest contracts offered in the MLB.


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Buster Posey fell to the San Francisco Giants in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Posey was coming off a 2008 junior season at Florida State where he hit .463 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI, winning the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year Award, as well as the Dick Houser Trophy for best player in college and the Golden Spikes Award for the best amateur athlete in college. Yet with all those accolades, Posey fell to fifth in the MLB Draft that year, behind the Pirates’ Pedro Alvarez, the Orioles’ Brian Matusz, the Rays’ Tim Beckam and the Royals’ Eric Hosmer.

            

Baseball America’s scouting report of Posey pre-draft was spot on.

“…considered the top catching prospect, both defensively and offensively, in the country. His offensive numbers this season, including a .471 average, put him among the national leaders in several categories. His receiving, footwork and release are all advanced, and his athleticism is apparent. Posey's arm strength (he reaches 94 mph off the mound) and accuracy are pluses as well. At the plate, Posey has above-average bat speed and makes consistent contact. He has power to all fields but will probably be known more for his batting average than home runs. Drafted out of high school by the Angels in the 50th round in 2005, Posey is regarded as one of the safest picks in this year's draft. His projection as an offensive catcher with Gold Glove-caliber defense has boosted Posey's draft stock as much as anyone's over the weeks leading up to the draft.”

Four years later and three seasons into Posey’s MLB career, he is an All-Star, the 2010 Rookie of the Year, the 2012 Comeback Player of the Year, the 2012 NL Hank Aaron Award winner, the 2012 Silver Slugger Award winner, the MLB batting champion for 2012 and on Thursday he was named the 2012 NL MVP.

All that does not include that in three seasons with the Giants, he has two World Series rings -- while many forget that 2012 was Posey’s first full season in the major leagues.

He hit .336 with 24 home runs and 103 RBI this season and ran away with the NL MVP on Thursday, claiming 27 of 32 first-place votes.

And so we think ahead to what is next for the newest superstar in Major League Baseball?

For the Giants’ front office, it would be to lock this player up for the foreseeable future.  Posey’s current contract paid him just $615,000 in 2012, and he is arbitration eligible from 2013-2016.

Right off the bat, GM Brian Sabean and Co. have to be thinking big money for several seasons, and there are two contracts that stand out when paying a player like Posey and making him a part of the Giants for many, many years.

Joey Votto’s recent contract with the Reds will pay him $225 million for the next ten seasons, and one can argue those two players are nearly on the same current wavelength in baseball.  Votto’s contract is at least a topping out point.

Joe Mauer’s contract certainly is of the Giants’ interest, as Mauer has never been the same player since he signed his eight-year, $184 million contract that will be effective through 2018.  Mauer has battled injuries, playing in just 82 games in 2011, but bounced back to play 147 in 2012.

There are concerns with Posey being a catcher, but one full season under Posey’s belt and he has a batting title and an NL MVP Award?

Pay the man everything you have.

Judging by Sabean and the Giants’ history, and presumed newly developed reluctance to pay any player more than they are worth (see Barry Zito, Aaron Rowand, Dave Roberts, etc.), Posey is looking at somewhere around a six or seven-year contract -- not the ten-year contract everyone would suggest and many teams have made the norm in baseball for superstar players.

Posey is still early in his career, which is why record numbers in the salary department are not likely, by any means.  Votto’s contract pays him $22.5 million per year, while Mauer’s contract still pays him $23 million.

The last thing the Giants want to do is have a Mauer situation on their hands, especially since Posey plays one of the more taxing positions in the game. We saw the damage when a freak play including Scott Cousins occurs.  Still, Posey does nearly everything hitting-wise, while catching one of the best starting rotations in the game.

More than likely, Posey can expect a seven-year contract worth around $18 million per year.

Do you recognize that number? You should.

Barry Zito's contract with the Giants back in 2007 earned him a seven-year deal worth $126 million and it will come off San Francisco's books at the end of the 2013 season.

CSNBayArea.com’s Ray Ratto sees a similar salary coming Posey’s way.

“…and is on the cusp of becoming the highest paid catcher not named Joe Mauer. Molina signed a five-year, $75M deal that kicks in next year, but Posey’s next contract ought to shame that, at least a bit.
“And when he signs it, he will handle it in that understated yet subtly edgy way of his, as though he were too polite to say, ‘Well, what did you expect to happen?’”

There are not many sure things in sports now-and-days, but it is hard to find one thing wrong with giving Posey the keys to the castle. There are no worries with him at the plate, in the field or off the field, and his intelligence and silent leadership in the clubhouse only further cements him as a player to mold younger players on the team after.

The Giants’ franchise changed forever when the College Player of the Year out of Florida State dropped to them in the 2008 MLB Draft. Four years later, the Giants have two World Series titles and thoughts of a baseball dynasty running through their mind.

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Buster Posey To Start At Catcher on Friday For San Francisco Giants

After the 2011 season was left in shambles and a key piece of the future of the franchise wavering in the balance, the wait is over for the San Francisco Giants.  Buster Posey will reportedly be starting behind the plate on Friday when the Giants take on the Cincinnati Reds.

Posey sat out most of last season, after a collision at home plate with Miami Marlins' outfielder Scott Cousins left Posey with a left leg injury that sidelined him from any physical activities until recently. Now, the Giants plan on testing that left leg in Spring Training and see how it reacts.


According to Comcast SportsNet's Andrew Baggarly, Bruce Bochy plans on starting Posey behind the dish on Friday, seven games into San Francisco's Spring Training schedule.

Bochy plans to debut Posey at catcher Friday: Welcome back, kid. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he plans for Bu... bit.ly/yhBFHx

— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) March 8, 2012

All eyes are sure to be on Posey, that left leg and his bat that is so dearly needed if the Giants are to hang tough in the National League West this season.

He is clearly the heart and soul of this Giants ball club.  In his rookie season, Posey played a significant role in helping the Giants get their first World Series title in San Francisco.  Last season, we saw just how much he really meant to this team.

After he went down with injury, the team seemed mentally drained down the stretch when a playoff push was needed.  The team was dismal on the offensive side of the ball and lacked that middle of the order bat to help drive in runs and take meaningful at-bats.

With Posey assuredly back in the Giants' line-up for Opening Day 2012, the Giants should feel like a new team, and the news that we are going to see him back on the field calling pitches behind the plate on Friday only further adds to the team's hyped morale.

Look for the Giants to take several precautions on Friday, but just seeing him with the mask on Friday should be enough to get the baseball juices flowing back in San Francisco.

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San Francisco Giants Smart to Tell Buster Posey Not to Block Home Plate

Bruce Bochy told catcher Buster Posey today not to block home plate if he has the chance, and that could not be a smarter move for the team's season and the franchise as a whole heading forward.

The collision involving Posey and Miami Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins at home plate last year ended Posey's season and pretty much ended the Giants' hopes of defending their World Series title.  That is exactly what

Bochy does not want that to happen this season, and he told
Posey
that just to reiterate and emphasize his thoughts on the matter.

Posey means that much to the Giants' season and near future.  The season-ending collision at the plate was what what ultimately ended the Giants' 2011 season.  If San Francisco has Posey in the line-up down the stretch of a close race in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, the Giants would have been a lot closer than eight games back, maybe even won it.

It was not just the absence of Posey from the line-up, but it took a toll on San Francisco's mentality for the rest of that season.  Posey was the phenom talent that the franchise's hopes would rest on for years to come, and he was the biggest bat in the middle of that line-up.

The Giants had no shot the rest of the way, no matter how close they kept it with the Diamondbacks the last couple months of the season.

Posey staying away from a collision at home plate this season is better than giving up one run.  Of course, the Giants' offense cannot afford to have runs scored against their pitching, but that is not the point here.

Having Posey for an entire season with his bat and potential is much more beneficial to the team in the longrun than blocking the plate and risk getting hurt again.  The team cannot afford it this season or in seasons to come.

This also brings up another point as to what position Posey will be playing in the longrun for this ball club.  Bochy's recent actions may have told us more than we think on that subject.  It will make for great conversation the first time Posey steps out of the way and swipe-tags the runner at home plate.  It think it is pretty obvious where the team is leaning with their young player.

However, Bochy and the franchise were right to tell Posey to avoid injury at any cost.  He means that much to this team and future of this franchise.

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2011 San Francisco Giants: Can Team Recover From Loss of Buster Posey?

San Francisco Giants fans' worst fears came true on May 25 when catcher Buster Posey was injured in a home plate collision with Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins.

Posey broke a bone in his lower left leg and is out for the season after surgery on Sunday repaired three torn ligaments in his ankle.

The Giants have said that they are optimistic for his return on Opening Day 2012.

The "Collision Heard 'Round the World" has received equal part criticism of Cousins, and equal part freak accident. Some were calling for a new rule change, and others, like Ray Fosse, who was injured in the infamous collision at home plate with Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game, said that there should be no rule change at all.

What is done, is done, however.

Posey is out for the season, and the main question now is how the Giants will cope without their best player and only consistent offensive threat.

Can we eliminate them from repeating as World Series Champions? Can we eliminate them from the NL West race?

Time will tell, but the Posey injury does not hurt the Giants' line-up as much as it hurts the team mentally.



Dirty Play?

Cousins' lowered shoulder caused some to jump to the conclusion that he was trying to hurt Posey, and that there should be an immediate rule change.

Catchers are allowed to block home plate, but they run the risk of getting run over by a physical specimen running at full-speed turning around third base and heading for home, whose only thought in his head is to touch home plate in any way possible.

In return, that physical specimen runs the risk of getting a pitch thrown at his head the following inning.

It goes both ways.

So, yes, Cousins had the right to do what he did, as anyone in his position would have done.

Cousins is batting .167 this season. That was his defining moment when he was rounding third base. It was a chance to make a name for himself and contribute to this team in one way or another. If he gets tagged out without giving Posey a good shellacking, odds are he gets sent down to the minors the following day.

I do not blame him.



Should the Giants Seek A Replacement For Posey?

Posey was batting .284 with 21 RBI's in 2011 and was the only consistent hitter in that Giants line-up.

Despite Posey being a great hitter and his potential is through the roof, the Giants were not hitting with him in the line-up anyways.

San Francisco was averaging 3.6 runs per game, while giving up 3.7 runs per game.

The loss of Posey affects this team mentally more than it affects this team in the field.

Eli Whiteside is not going to hit the baseball very much, but he knows this pitching staff and they trust him.

That was the difference between Posey and all other catchers. He could hit the ball, as well as call a great game from behind the plate.

Whiteside cannot hit, which his .162 average is witness to, but he can still call a great game behind the plate that the Giants' pitching staff trusts.

If the Giants went out and sought the services of Ivan Rodriguez from the Washington Nationals, San Francisco would be getting a player that is batting .211 on the year and does know the pitching staff.

Give Whiteside some consistent at-bats and he can give the team over a .200 average and save them some money. Reports are the Nationals have been dangling Rodriguez in front of San Francisco, hoping to get the 2010 World Series Champions to overpay for him.

Not worth it.



Posey's Return

I am sure this last week has been torturous for the people of San Francisco.

Posey, the pride and joy of San Francisco, gets injured trying to block home plate.

The first report was that it was a broken leg and that he would be out 6-8 weeks, much like the Josh Hamilton injury earlier this season.

Then there was ligament damage and all hell broke loose in San Francisco.

The Giants lost Posey for the season, instantly.

It is, of course, too early to tell when Posey will return from an injury that may set-back his career a year or so.

His return is unknown, but the team is optimistic that he will be ready for Opening Day 2012.

“The fracture will be fine,” Giants trainer Dave Groeschner told ESPN. “The ankle injury is most concerning to us.”

That would be the left ankle that had three torn ligaments in it, and the one that Posey had surgery on this past Sunday, causing him to be out indefinitely.

More reports will come out in the next couple of months, but do not expect Posey on your television set anytime soon.



Team Expectations Now

It is funny how things change on a team like the Giants when one person gets injured.

After Posey was sent to the DL, the Giants immediately promoted Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford to the big leagues, something that they were going to hold off on doing for at least a few months.

Crawford was not even expected to be called up this season.

Some would suggest that this was panic by the Giants' organization, when in reality this was San Francisco's way of immediately changing the mind-set of both the fans and players by bringing up two of the best prospects the Giants have to offer in order to change the morale of this team.

It worked.

Crawford's grand slam in Milwaukee was the turning point in life after Posey's injury.

Do the Giants still have what it takes to win the NL West and contend for another World Series title?

As long as they have that same pitching staff, they do.

Madison Bumgarner is starting to throw well again, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are going to consistently give the team good outings, Jonathan Sanchez is what he is (3-3 3.47 ERA) and either Ryan Vogelsong or Barry Zito are going to give the Giants a better than normal fifth starter outing most of the time they take the mound.

The Giants will not miss Posey now, it is a long season, but they will miss his consistent bat when the playoff race heats up in September.

For now, continue getting used to pitching duels and one-run games.

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San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey Will Be Changing Positions Sooner or Later

An article written for ESPN caught my attention this past week. The article was by David Schoenfield entitled "Mauer Position Change Becoming Inevitable."

Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins is batting .235 with 4 RBI's in just nine games this season. He has been hampered by a knee injury that has kept him on the DL since April 15, after being rushed back from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the offseason.

There is no current timetable for his return.

In the article, Schoenfield points that while Mauer's value at catcher may be high, his value on the DL is zero. Mauer will have to move away from catcher at some point in his career, and that point seems to be approaching ever closer these days.

Schoenfield goes into detail about how the Twins have Mauer signed until he is 35-years-old, and that first baseman Justin Morneau is signed through 2013, which hurts because first base would be the obvious position to play Mauer other than catcher.

DH seems to be the only option for the Twins since Mauer is not equipped to play any other position other than catcher and first base.

But this article strikes close to home, as Eric Byrnes addressed on KNBR last week.

Here, in the Bay Area, we have our own version of Joe Mauer in Buster Posey. A solid catcher who can produce at the plate as well as any other hitter in the league, as Mauer was before his injuries.

Using Mauer as the prime example, it is inevitable that Posey will be changing positions within the next five years.

If the San Francisco Giants want his bat for his entire career, as I'm sure is quite high on their priority list, they will switch Posey to a different position.

Honestly, this will not be as big a shock in the coming years as it is right now.

Posey played shortstop for Florida State his freshman year in college, batting .346 in that season. His move to catcher was only to guarantee him a roster position in Major League Baseball by making him unique as a catcher that could hit, instead of a shortstop that could hit.

So Posey can play the field with no problem, or at least with less problem than, say, a Joe Mauer.

Here is where it gets tricky if you are the San Francisco Giants.

Looking down the road a few years, the Giants' infield will consist of Pablo Sandoval at third base and Brandon Belt at first base. These are guarantees in the field that hurt Posey because those would be the two positions that would come most naturally to him.

For those saying to put him back at shortstop, that is no longer an option. As Byrnes put it, his legs are like "tree trunks" now. He will not be able to cover that much ground, as he will need to do.

That does not rule out an outfield spot for him, though.

Sure, center field and right field may not be options, especially at AT&T Park, but I'm sure Posey could do just as good a job in left field as Pat Burrell does right now.

More realistically, Posey will be playing second base for the Giants sooner or later.

As Schoenfield pointed out, former Houston Astros' catcher Craig Biggio did it. In fact, he is the only catcher to move to second base from catcher, and play on a regular basis, in baseball history.

Well, make some room, Biggio.

Given the Giants' roster situation in a few years, the ballpark they play in, and the seemingly constant reminder of the clock ticking on Posey's legs, as being currently proven by Joe Mauer, the Giants will inevitably have to move Posey from catcher to second base in the coming years.

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San Francisco Giants: Brandon Belt Seems Bound For AAA-Fresno

So the San Francisco Giants made a mistake. The hype was so huge coming out of Spring Training that the Giants ultimately had no choice but to start Brandon Belt on Opening Day at first base.

The Giants went against everything they have ever preached about their prospects by bringing up Belt to the majors to start the season.

Buster Posey waited until mid-season. Now look at him. So did Madison Bumgarner and a host of other players who now make up the young core of the Giants' competitive ball club.

Which is why murmurs of Belt's imminent departure for Fresno seems just about right for this situation.

Andrew Baggarley of the San Jose Mercury News says that Belt has until April 26th to make a splash in The Bigs or he'll be splashing in Fresno. That would be the date that Andres Torres is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list.

Honestly, this seems like a done deal already, and the Giants really don't have any other options for this situation at this point, if you look at it.

If the Giants choose not to send Belt down to Fresno, that would mean they would have to designate someone like Nate Schierhotlz for assignment to make room for Torres on the roster.

Why would the Giants choose to lose Schierholtz when Belt can just be optioned to AAA and possibly brought back up again?

At this point in the season, it betters the team for Belt to be sent down.

His .196 BA isn't helping anyone right now, and he seems a little overwhelmed at the plate at the moment.

With that move, Aubrey Huff can now make a home back at first base, and the one-man circus that he was in right field comes to an end.

Plus, it gives Aaron Rowand and Schierhotz, guys who have played well when called upon, chances in the outfield until Cody Ross returns.

There are more pros than cons when it comes to Belt being sent down to AAA-Fresno, which is why it seems the Giants have already made up their mind.

Mark it down: Torres up, and Belt sent down on April 26th.

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the San Francisco Giants' First Week of the Season

It has not been the most ideal start to the 2011 baseball season for the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, but it could be worse.

A 2-4 start has some freaking out and others, like sane people, just calling it a bit of a World Series hangover, which it is.

The Giants have targets on their backs now that they have rings on their fingers (or will have rings on their fingers on Saturday). They will be taking everyone's best shot from here forward.

Call it a slump, a World Series hangover or whatever, but I'm going to call it like it should be called: a roadtrip.

It doesn't matter how rude the scheduling committee was in sending the World Series Champions on road against division rivals for the first week. Defending World Champions should be playing at home to start the season.......against the Pirates....... just saying. It's common courtesy.

But now they're back home in San Francisco where they are comfortable and brought the city its first World Series championship.

That does not erase what happened this past week, though. There were good parts, bad parts and the ugliest of parts to this opening week of baseball for the defending champs.

The Good

There was patches of good in this first week of baseball for the Giants. The 2-4 record gives that away.

The good thing was the players who were supposed to perform did so.

Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain stand at the forefront of "the good."

Cain was spectacular in his 2011 debut, going six innings of five-hit ball in a 10-0 route of the Dodgers. He was the Giants' only pitcher with a win until Lincecum's gem on Wednesday.

Lincecum, the only Giant with two starts in 2011, has picked up where he left off 2010.

His first start in Los Angeles came in a loss, but he still went seven innings and only gave up five hits, while striking out five and not giving up an earned run.

He topped that on Wednesday in San Diego when he pitched another seven innings, this time only surrendering three hits and striking out 13.

But we expected that from those two.

We also exprected it from Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey, who have been a majority of the Giants runs so far this season.

Huff is batting .292 and leads the team in RBI's with seven.

Posey is batting .320 with five RBI's and is tied for the team lead in hits with eight.

But there's four players who have been mighty fine surprises for the Giants so far.

The comeback story that is Pablo Sandoval put on a show in his first week of weightless baseball batting .400, and has been a consistent force in that lineup with eight hits.

Freddy Sanchez has been consistent, as well, hitting .364.

But how about that one game? Remember that one?

It was just one game, and it could have been a sign of the world ending or something, but Aaron Rowand and Mark DeRosa played well in their only opportunities.

Rowand is 4 for 7 now in 2010, and DeRosa is 2 for 6. I say pencil them into the lineup, right?

The Bad

There is plenty bad to say about a 2-4 start to the season from the defending World Series champs, but I will keep it brief and to the point.

Pat Burrell was who we thought he was (thank you Denny Green). Burrell's .143 BA is sorry, but we expected that. Burrell's homerun presence (two homeruns) in the lineup may be the only thing keeping Bruce Bochy from inserting the "red hot" Rowand into the lineup.

Offseason acquisition Miguel Tejada wasn't all the Giants hoped he would be in his first werk, whatever they expected out of him. He is just batting .200 as a part of the Giants.

Rookie Brandon Belt can also be considered part of the "bad" category. He is a rookie and it is his first week in the major leagues, so take it for what it is, but Belt is 4 for 22 in his first week in The Bigs.

I, as I'm sure you all did, got all giddy after he impressed on Opening Night in Los Angeles, but we all saw this bit of a slump coming at some point.

A bright side: Belt is definitely a professional hitter, taking pitchers deep into counts, and having a great eye.

I'm not sure what the future holds for young Belt, but this guy has the "It" factor that teams dream of.

The Ugly

The Giants' first week got ugly at times, especially as of late.

Two pitchers provided the ugliness.

Madison Bumgarner's first opening week in the MLB didn't go as he may have planned.

He threw just three innings in San Diego, giving up three earned runs and five hits. Not the start many were hoping for from a 21-year old kid with extreme potential on the mound.

The other ugly part was Brian Wilson.

Sure, he was just coming off of the DL after a strained oblique sidelined him for a couple weeks, but a 40.50 ERA may say all that needs to be said here.

.2 innings pitched, two hits and three runs given up in 15 minutes.

The Beard was never feared less than Wednesday in San Diego.

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San Francisco Giants: 5 Question Marks Heading Into The 2011 Baseball Season

With Spring Training now in full swing, the San Francisco Giants have unofficially began their journey to repeat as World Series Champions.

After their improbable run to become baseball's 2010 World Champions, it is hard to say whether this team has yet to come down from that high.

A pretty mediocre and quiet offseason from the Giants' front office has this team against the odds once again.

Until you look at their pitching staff, when you quickly remember why this team won it all last season.

Still, there are question marks aplenty for this team.

Can they repeat? Will Brian Wilson's beard rule the world? Who is 'The Machine?'

Here are my 5 biggest question marks for the San Francisco Giants heading into the 2011 MLB season:

5. - Barry Zito

It was a pretty quiet offseason for Barry Zito, that is until the first week of Spring Training when reports were he was going to released by the team. Other than that it was pretty quiet...

Reports of Zito coming into Spring Training out of shape turned out to be false, and so did any reports of him being let go.

Still, Zito is under scrutiny entering this 2011 baseball season, as he always is. He is getting paid $126 million.

But after years of Zito showing sparks of brilliance in one half of the season and not the second half, or vice-versa, fans can get a little antsy.

The questions: Is this the year Barry Zito lives up to his contract? Will he let the offseason rumors of him being released affect him? Will he crumble under the pressure yet again?

Zito has yet to prove anything as a Giant. His inconsistency is aggravating, and his contract isn't helping anyone.

As far as I'm concerned, Zito has nothing to live up to. He's the number four starter on this team, and many cities would be happy with a .500 record from their number four pitcher. Until you look at his contract.

4. - When Will Brandon Belt Get Called Up?

The kid has skills. We've seen it so far in Spring Training, and we've heard about it, at least from someone. He's the second coming, right? Well, we'll see.

They compare him to Buster Posey and what not, but hopefully these fans don't expect the next Buster Posey.

The truth is he will be starting at first base for the Fresno Grizzlies come Opening Day, not the San Francisco Giants. Let him season, and let him get some consistent at-bats before throwng him into the fire that is the major leagues.

They're going to treat him like Posey and Sandoval, and the young pitchers before them. This is the system the Giants go by, and it works. You can check their World Series rings for proof of that.

But when will we see him?

Well, when will someone get hurt?

Let's not think like that, but it's true. Belt will be the first player brought up if a starting position player gets hurt.

If that isn't enough for you, history would say that the Giants bring up their prospects mid-season. So how about June or July?

I'd like to see him earlier, but I'd also like to see how he hits in AAA with a title of 'future phenom' on his back.

3. - Can The Pitching Staff Stay Healthy?

So far this question has rarely come up. A rotation of 20-something year olds with golden arms and World Series rings may not need that question asked to them.

But after Matt Cain's elbow has started to act up, is this a sign of things to come?

Knock on wood it isn't.

The bottom line is without a healthy pitching staff, the Giants are nothing. We hear it every year and every year they are relatively healthy. But is this the year? The Giants certainly can't afford it.

With still a minimal offense, the Giants will do all they can to keep their pitching rotation in mint condition.

2. - Questions About The Giants' Offense...Yet Again

We hear it every year. Can the Giants score enough runs?

And every year it's the same answer.

No.

Except that last year they won the World Series.

The Giants' line-up is not that of a World Series challenger. The acquisition of Miguel Tejada to replace Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe certainly doesn't do too much. Pretty much, this is the same line-up as last season.

They need another bat, sure. But with such a dominant pitching staff, they need to score just enough to win. That's how they won the World Series last season, and that will be how this season will go. Prepare for torture.

1. - Can Pablo Sandoval Keep The Weight Off?

One of the biggest topics for the Giants during this offseason was about Pablo Sandoval's physique, or lack there of.

Sandoval was told to go lose weight during the offseason, and when he arrived at Spring Training, he was twenty pounds lighter. A job well done.

Still the question remains: Can he keep it off?

A lighter Panda is a better hitting Panda, is a happier Panda, is a happier Giants squad.

This line-up would be so much more dangerous if the Sandoval from 2009 showed up this season.

Still, a lighter Sandoval cannot help him from swinging at balls above his head or grounding into souble plays, but one thing at a time with this guy.

The first step is keeping the weight off. Everything else will come naturally to this guy.

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The Only Question Regarding Brandon Belt Is 'When?'

There is no question that Brandon Belt can play. We've seen it, and if we haven't seen it, we've heard about it. The kid is the real deal. The only question regarding the young phenom is "when?"

When will Brandon Belt play in the big leagues? To the San Francisco Giants, there are two available time slots for such an epic and much-awaited debut: Start of the season or during the season. There is no doubt, we will see Belt sometime soon, but fans just want to know when.

The Giants are notorious for seasoning their players low 'n slow in the minors. We saw it with pretty much the entire pitching staff they have now, and we saw it more recently with Buster Posey. You can't rush these things. The Giants want their players to stay in the minors where they can get regular at-bats and learn the game on a consistent playing level. Then when they're ready, they're professionals.

It's a proven method the Giants use because it works. That's why they're World Champions, because they know how to use their farm system and brew players for success.

For those impatient Giants fans, the word is 'relax.' What's the rush with Belt? He's good...yes. But is he MLB ready?

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Seasoning Buster Posey

The anticipation of Buster Posey is almost too much these days. He is making absolute waves in Spring Training so far, and fans' #1 question heading into the regular season is when are we going to see Buster?

It seemed like the organization was sending a clear message to its fan-base a couple months ago when they re-signed Benjie Molina in a crazy turn of events. Could that have been a reaction to Posey's first-time experience in the Majors last season? Probably.

It seems like the Giants are being extremely careful with their "future." And the way it is looking, we will probably see Posey starting the year in AAA-Fresno. This is not bad, of course, they did sign Molina, who, next to Aubrey Huff or Pablo Sandoval is the team's best power hitter, and power is what the Giants have been needing for the past few seasons. Plus, I dont think the plan was to give Molina all that money to play back-up catcher.

But what shoud be done with Posey if he is such a key part in the future of the Giants franchise?

I say be gentle with him, he is fragile. People fail to remember that he played most of last season in Single-A, then was promoted to AAA for just a couple of months. Then they promoted him again to the Majors, and that did not turn out all that well. He is still young and there is a lot of time to get him into Major League Baseball shape, because right now he does not appear to be that way.

If the Giants want this kid to be a Rookie of the Year contender when he gets to the Majors (which is what everyone anticipates him to be), they will season him. Season him "low 'n slow" in AAA-Fresno for half the season, and then when the All-Star break comes, promote him to the Majors as the back-up catcher pending that he does well in AAA. Get him some at-bats here and there in 2010 and work him into the the starting roster come the 2011 season.

For now, keep Eli Whiteside at the back-up catcher position. In order for consistent production out of Molina, Molina will need constant time off, and Whiteside is good enough to share the load until Posey is seasoned.

Do not let this discourage you though, Giants fans. Posey will meet the anticipation, but in time. For now, enjoy the other young, solid players gracing the Giants roster this year, guys like Madison Bumgarner and Dan Runzler. But the Giants know they can keep Posey in their back pocket for now, and when he is ready, he will be the next big thing in baseball.

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