Player Preview -- The Outfielders

My second nugget breaking down the team before the season begins.  Previously, it was the Infielders, now it is the Outfielders

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Left Field -- Pat Burrell/Mark DeRosa/Aubrey Huff --

The loosest spot on the diamond is Left Field, but a good year from Burrell could change all that.  I think that Pat the Bat's got a fantastic opportunity here to finally be the Giants rebound relationship after the awkwardness that was our ex-Left Fielder for oh so long.  (I love you, Barry....I hate you.....I love you....Just go.....NO, don't go.....I'm sorry, I'm sorry)

Breaks down like this: if Pat contiues what he started in October (which was a Giant o'fer), then Brandon Belt will be here to stay, and Pat the Bat will be the Giants' Matt Stairs off the bench.  But, a hot start, minimal K's with a 6 ding dong April, and Burrell will have to stick around.  Leaving one to wonder, What about the Ross/Huff/Belt triangle?

My whole thing, and I've said this before -- if you can trade one of these guys to keep Belt around, do it.  But, if they wanted to do it, why'd they sign them to contracts?


Center Field -- Andres Torres/Aaron Rowand --

Continuing with the trade idea, Aaron Rowand seems to be the only position guy that the Giants would readily part with given even a whiff of a deal.  But, trading Rowand does little to free up roster room for promising prospects.  In fact, given that the Giants entire outfield is roughly 30+, you need Rowand for depth at Center in case you have to move Torres somewhere else (or he regresses to flash-in-the-pan status).

Andres has some things to prove:

1. He's as good as he was last year (not a fluke)
2. He's as healthy as he was last year (now that he doesn't have that pesky appendix)
3. He's as quick as he was last year

Torres is in a tough spot because he's probably got the least amount of leeway to have a bad start.  But, he's a machine and he's a good guy.  At the top spot, I'd like to see him his .280 and with several doubles and triples.  All the guys on the team are, more or less, contact hitters so a little bit of gap power will get Torres' run total way up.


Right Field -- Cody Ross/Nate Schierholtz/Aubrey Huff --

So, Code-Man is down for a bit.  Huffy started on Monday in right while Belt is being given a call back at first.  Schierholtz is, once again, the odd-man out.  Too bad because Schierholtz seems to be as close as he ever was to get a legit shot as a regular right fielder in this organization.  But, perhaps a few late inning spells and a couple pinch hits will get his value up to go to a different team with a genuine need for a right fielder with a cannon.

If Huff can play right, I have no problem positioning him there whilst Ross is down, and giving Belt a regular season shot.  But when Ross gets back, there is, once again, an unknown quantity.  Cody Ross did not set the world on fire during the regular season last year.  Hopefully, an NLCS MVP trophy gives him some confidence and inspiration.  A .270 BA with 15 HRs, 60 runs, and 15 SBs would be so great. 

Coming up next: The Pitchers' Preview