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Friday February 8, 2013

By Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13

Coming off of the 2012 World Series victory, the Giants haven’t really done much this offseason. Either way every team in the league is going to be trying to take them down. When you’re the Champion of all of baseball, what team wouldn’t be gunning for you? Their biggest contest is going to be their rivals in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has made more moves since August than you can count. The Giants realize what a great team they have and how little moves they made have shown they are confident in what they can do in 2013.

The possibly most important move they have made is resigning the Second-Half-hero Marco Scutaro. His 3 yr./$20,000,000 deal is a great deal for San Francisco. After what he did the Giants probably would have considered paying more for Scutaro. You just can’t match .500 AVG in the NLCS. This man was the definition of clutch for the club. Other very important deals include Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Jeremy Affeldt. Pence, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Phillies, was a huge reason the Giants even made it past the NLDS. His inspirational speeches got the entire squad ready before every game. Him resigning for a 1 YR./$13,800,000 deal was huge for him and the Giants. The team gets to utilize his skills for another year – while he gets to prove he’s worth more come next winter.

San Francisco Giants: 2012 World Series Highlights. Mature lyrics- parental guidance is advised:

For Pagan it was also a positive signing. The Giants get his skills for the next two years after he signed a 4 yr./$40,000,000 contract on December 3. Trading Andres Torres for Pagan last winter turned out to be one of the Giants’ biggest winter  moves. He hit .288 and led the league with 15 triples. His glove also came up incredibly clutch, most notably in Game 5 of the NLDS with a run-saving sliding catch. Finally, the Giants resigned LHP Jeremy Affeldt. This is big because this is going to be the first year Sergio Romo is going to be closing full-time. If he is needed to be replaced for any reason then Affeldt is available. He’ll be with the team through 2015 with a 3 yr./$18,000,000 deal. He’s definitely a solid reliever out of the pen and will be for years to come.

Even with so little offseason moves, the Giants still have one of the best rosters in the game. Their payroll is also still in the top 10. Let’s breakdown the Giants 2013 payroll.

Starting Rotation:

Matt Cain: RHP.  Cain has 5 YRs/$127,500,000 remaining on his contract through 2017. This includes a Club Option for the 2018 season for $21,000,000. Having Cain through at least 2017 is huge for the Giants considering he is the ace of the staff. He is, barring any Spring Training injury, going to be the Opening Day starter for the Giants.

Madison Bumgarner: LHP. Bumgarner is the pitcher of the future for the Giants. He has yet to have a losing season in the bigs with a career record of 36-30. The Giants are going to be watching over him for years as he is only 23 Years Of Age. He is signed through 2017 with a 5 YR./$35,000,000 with a club option in 2018 and 2019. That is an awfully low price for a man who can already be trusted as a 2 or 3 starter.

Tim Lincecum: RHP. Lincecum is on the last year of his 2 YR/$40,500,000 contract. Boy is he going to need to make an impact in 2013 if he wants a contract like that again. After an absolutely awful 2012 campaign, he is going to need to prove himself in 2013. After his Post Season out of the pen – he has all the momentum on his side so with the motivation of looking for a big contract next year, the Giants can expect a good season from Lincecum in 2013.

Ryan Vogelsong: RHP. Vogelsong is in his last year of a 2 YR./$8,000,000 deal with a Club Option in 2014. If he can continue to be “Vogelstrong” this year, the Giants will likely pick up his $6,500,000 Club Option. After a terrible start to his professional career, Vogelsong has created one of the best stories in baseball.

Barry Zito: LHP. Zito got an absurd contract – 7 YR./$136,000,000 – when he signed with the Giants before the 2007 season. Quite frankly, it didn’t pan out the way SF thought it would. From 2007-2011 he had no winning seasons and led the league in losses in 2008 with 17. He had a fantastic 2012 out of nowhere with a 15-8 record surprising everyone.  If he is effective enough to throw 200 IP in 2013, his 18 Million Dollar Club Option becomes a Vesting Option – so it automatically kicks in.  That is highly unlikely to happen with Zito as the 5th starter, however since the team will still pay him a buyout of 7 Million if they choose to decline his Option – the difference is only 11 Million.  The team will likely buy him out after the year. He may still be resigned by the Giants for 2014 at a low base contract – filled with incentives, so it is still prudent for the guy to pitch well this campaign.

Bullpen:

Sergio Romo: RHP. Romo recently signed to a 2 YR./$9,000,000 Deal – avoiding Salary Arbitration. Romo was key for San Francisco last year after Wilson went down early in the season with an arm injury. He ended up with 14 Saves after splitting closer roles with a few other Giants. He was their Full Time Closer in the Post Season – finishing with 4 Saves, 1 Win, and a 0.69 ERA. Having him until the end of the 2014 season is huge for the Giants – especially if they don’t resign Brian Wilson.

Santiago Casilla: RHP. Casilla took most of the Saves in 2012, in leading the team with 25. On December 13, the Giants resigned Casilla to a 3 YR/$15,000,000 Deal to avoid Arbitration. He will primarily be the Giants setup man in 2012, most likely splitting the role with lefty Javier Lopez. You can probably count on see him closing if anything should happen to Romo

Javier Lopez: LHP. Lopez is entering his second and last year of his 2 YR./$8,500,000 contract. In 2012, he went 3-0 – with a 2.50 ERA, 36.0 IP during his 70 Appearances. He is going to be the other half of the setup men along with Casilla. If he can build on the 2.50 ERA, one of the best of his career, he could be a very dangerous late – Inning guy .

Jeremy Affeldt: LHP. It was a big deal for San Francisco when the Giants resigned him mid November. It was a great deal on both ends. For 3 YR./$18,000,000 the Giants get a very good closer – and Affeldt stays in the city he loves for at least 3 more seasons. Affeldt had 67 Appearances in 2012 with 3 Saves included. He has only had 3 seasons with an ERA better than his 2.70 in 2012. He is a solid middle reliever with a plus Lefty fastball – and is their go to guy for the Lefty-Lefty matchups.

Ramon Ramirez: RHP. Ramirez signed a 1 Year deal with the Giants on February 5. Although signed to a Minor League contract with the Giants, Ramirez will most likely be on the 25 Man Roster. After the Mets acquired him from the Giants last winter, Ramirez struggled as he posted a 4.24 ERA. Although he probably won’t be used often, he could see some action in the middle of the game.

Jose Mijares: LHP. Jose Mijares is scheduled to make $1,800,000 in 2013 – on his one-year deal. Mijares only threw 17.2 Innings in 2012 through 27 Appearances.  The Giants would sure love to see improvement in the 2013 season, like years of his past. If not, he will likely see himself in a new city in 2014.

George Kontos: RHP.  Kontos has yet to sign a deal with the Giants official,  as he is still Pre-Arbitration Eligible. 2012 was his first full MLB season and had a decent year. He went 2-1 with a 2.47 ERA, pretty solid for a guy that had only pitched 6 MLB innings prior to 2012. A 2 or 3 year deal would be perfect for the Giants as they can watch him improve and possibly sign him to a long-term contract.

 Catchers:

Buster Posey: C. Posey may be off to the best start to any player in league history. He has 2 World Series, a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, while he literally has only played one full season in the MLB. Yet the Giants still “only” owe him $8,000,000 in 2013. If he can continue to have seasons like 2012 consistently than he will be one of the best players in the game.  He is Arbitration Eligible and due for a huge raise.  The Giants may be better off to sign him for a long-term deal – and have the start of it lower monies than the end years, so they can compete from 2014-2017 with the majority of their core signed players (Cain, Scutaro, Pagan) etc..

Hector Sanchez: C. Sanchez caught sporadically in 2012 giving Posey a break every now and again following his foot injury. He surprised everyone by what he could do. In 227 PA he slugged .280, better than expected from the rookie Catcher. He coud be used for DH frequently in upcoming years with Interleague play all season. He is still Pre-Arbitration Eligible – so there is no sum of money he is guaranteed right now.

Infield:

Marco Scutaro: 2B. Scutaro resigned for 3 YR./$20,000,000 back in December. He was, without a doubt – the Giants second half hero. You wouldn’t be able to script what he did in the NLCS. He also had the winning hit in the 10^th Inning of Game 4 of the World Series. If Scutaro can repeat what he did with the Giants in 2012, the Giants will be excited as ever to have him through 2015.

Pablo Sandoval: 3B. Coming off of his 2011 year, it was going to be hard to beat those stats. 2012 was still a great year, including an All-Star Appearance, but dropped from hitting .315 to .283. He is working into his second year of his 3 YR./$17,150,000 contract. If he can lose the pounds he gained back in 2012, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with, similar to 2011.

Brandon Crawford: SS. Crawford proved to be the Giants SS of the future in 2012. He struggled the first half of the season but proved his glove was better than it appeared to be during the first half. He is still Pre-Arbitration eligible – but will surely make a good amount of money in the future if he can improve his already decent bat.

Brandon Belt: 1B. Brandon Belt is also still Pre-Arbitration Eligible. He showed what a good middle-to-late in the lineup guy he can be. He hit .275, a number he is sure to improve upon in years to come. His glove was pretty solid at first even if he did commit 8 E’s. The fact that he can also play the outfield is huge for the Giants knowing they have someone they can use when needed.

Conor Gillaspie: 1B/3B. Gillaspie is another player who is Pre-Arbitration Eligible – and has not yet reached a deal. At 25 he has only played 29 games in the MLB with a career BA at .205. The Giants have been waiting for him to develop through the minors before bringing him to the big league squad full-time. This will probably be his year that he makes it out of Spring Training to the majors. He obviously won’t be a starter but it will be good to have a guy that can fill in at either First Base or ^Th Third Base.

Brett Pill: 1B/OF/PH: Pill made a name for himself as early as he could – when he hit a Home Run in his Major League Debut in 2011. After playing during the 2011 September call-ups, he played in 48 games in 2012. He showed he still needs to learn a few things , hitting a low .210 for his season Batting Average. He is still Pre-Arbitration Eligible this winter, but will be a late lineup threat in future years as a Pinch Hitter..

Joaquin Arias: IF. Arias is nowhere near a premiere player, but coming off the bench, that’s something he can do. Considering his contact is only a 1 YR./$925K deal, the Giants aren’t losing much by having him on the roster. He did a fine job as a replacement while Sandoval was out injured, including recording the final out in Matt Cain’s perfect game. He ended up hitting .270, pretty well for a guy that doesn’t play everyday. Not a great, but average guy for the Giants to come off the bench.

Outfield:

Angel Pagan: CF. When the Giants traded Andres Torres for Pagan last year they were probably thinking they were getting a guy that maybe hit .265 for them with a solid glove in Center Field. Instead they get a guy that hits .288, leads the league in Triples, and flashes the leather in Center Field on more than one occasion. This is why resigning him for a 4 YR./$40,000,000 contract, although may seem a little long, is fantastic for the Giants.

Hunter Pence: RF. Hunter Pence was a giant reason the Giants didn’t get swept in the NLDS. Without his motivational speeches, originating game 3 of the NLDS, the Giants arguably wouldn’t have made it past the NLDS. His .253 BA could have easily been improved on – and the Giants will be looking forward to a .275+ BA in 2013. Even if his stats weren’t the greatest on the team, he still had 45 RBI in 59 Regular Season Games for the Giants.   The resigning of him was definitely on the franchises priority list to start the winter, which is the minimum of 1 YR./13,800,000 (to keep him) was what he and the Giants ended up doing

Gregor Blanco: LF. Although Blanco struggled at the plate (hitting a low .244), his glove is what made him noticeable. He had some very impressive catches in the playoffs, more specifically the World Series, but no one will ever forget his Perfect Game-saving catch to preserve Matt Cain’s diamond gem. He isn’t a prominent player – so his 1 YR./$1,350,000 contract for 2013 seems like a fair deal on both sides.

Andres Torres: OF. After spending 3 years in San Francisco, the Giants shipped Torres off to New York (Mets) for the 2012 season in exchange for Angel Pagan. After a season out-of-town, the Giants decided to resign Torres for the 2013 campaign. 1 YR./$2,000,000 is a small price to pay for a 4th OF these days in Free Agency. Torres could also platoon with Gregor Blanco whenever there is a Lefty on the hill. Either way the Giants community was excited with the resigning of Andres Torres.

2013 Payroll – Active Contracts:

$132,275,000

Dead Money/Buyout:

$2,000,000–Aubrey Huff

Total Payroll:

$134,275,000

Final Thoughts Going Forward:

The Giants will still be about 100 Million Dollars behind the Dodgers in payroll for 2013 – however they are the defending champions and will be as competitive as ever.  I am sure management will still be able to trade for a star or 2 if necessary by the Trade D eadline.  Expect this Payroll to rise just a little bit more.  The team also has controllable players and big $$ coming off for the 2014 when Zito, Lincecum and Pence come off – just to name a couple of players.  If they play well, they may be offered new contracts in the Bay, if not, the Giants will have around 40 more Million Dollars to spend next year.  Don’t expect all 3 back with the club in 2014, with some of that money being used to lock up Buster Posey.

(*The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com*)

Welcome  to our newest Baseball Intern: Kyle Holland:

Kyle is a life long baseball fan outside of Boston. He is a sophomore in high school has played baseball since he was 5. Although growing up in one of the best baseball towns in the major leagues, he has been a Giants fan since 2009. He credits his aunt with the Giants being his favorite team as she lives in San Francisco. Some of his favorite players include Buster Posey, Stephen Drew, Trevor Bauer, Stephen Strasburg, and Minor leaguer Danny Hultzen.  You can find Kyle on Twitter Follow @TheKHolland13

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