2020 Giants season preview: The old guard is (almost) all gone
The San Francisco Giants enter the shortened season with a number of prominent faces from years past missing.
Bruce Bochy retired as manager after 13 seasons, Madison Bumgarner now plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Buster Posey opted out of the 2020 campaign due to coronavirus concerns.
That leaves new skipper Gabe Kapler with a roster of aging veterans on bad contracts mixed with inexperienced young talents, all while the front office continues its attempt to trim payroll with an eye on the future.
2020 Breakdown
2019 record: 77-85 (3rd in NL West)
Payroll: $159,693,889
Projected record: 24-36 (5th)
World Series odds: +30000
3-year trend: 2017 (5th); 2018 (4th); 2019 (3rd)
Key addition: Kevin Gausman
Key subtraction: Madison Bumgarner
Highest projected WAR: Brandon Crawford, Johnny Cueto (0.6)
X-factor: Johnny Cueto
Prospect to watch: Joey Bart
Winter report card: C
Projected Lineup
| Order | Player | Pos. | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Crawford (L) | SS | 0.6 |
| 2 | Donovan Solano | 3B | 0.2 |
| 3 | Mike Yastrzemski (L) | CF | 0.3 |
| 4 | Hunter Pence | DH | 0.1 |
| 5 | Alex Dickerson (L) | LF | 0.3 |
| 6 | Wilmer Flores | 1B | 0.3 |
| 7 | Mauricio Dubon | 2B | 0.4 |
| 8 | Rob Brantly (L) | C | 0.2 |
| 9 | Jaylin Davis | RF | 0.0 |
Bench
| Player | Position | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Heineman (S) | C | 0.2 |
| Pablo Sandoval (S) | 1B | 0.0 |
| Yolmer Sanchez | IF | 0.1 |
| Darin Ruf | IF/OF | 0.0 |
| Joe McCarthy (L) | 1B/OF | 0.0 |
| Austin Slater | OF | 0.1 |
*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason
The Giants were one of MLB's worst offensive teams last season, outscoring only the Miami Marlins and Detroit Tigers, and that was with the departed Kevin Pillar responsible for much of the damage. Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt are still capable of driving in runs but are hurt to start the season. Scoring won't be this team's specialty, especially with Posey sitting out.
Pence returning to the Bay Area after a resurgence in Texas should make for a nice story if he plays well.
Rotation
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Johnny Cueto | R | 4.41 |
| Jeff Samardzija | R | 4.98 |
| Kevin Gausman | R | 4.26 |
| Drew Smyly | L | 4.69 |
| Tyler Anderson | L | 4.22 |
Giants starters combined for just 4.0 WAR in 2019, with only two pitchers (Bumgarner and Samardzija) tossing enough innings to qualify.
A returning Cueto, who missed all but four starts in 2019 because of Tommy John surgery, should help with the rotation's effectiveness and workload. However, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said last month it's doubtful the Giants will use a five-man rotation, and they could rely on "unconventional things with the pitching staff" during the shortened campaign. What that means remains to be seen.
Bullpen
| Pitcher | Throws | Proj. ERA |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Watson | L | 4.07 |
| Trevor Gott | R | 3.90 |
| Tyler Rogers | R | 4.19 |
| Sam Coonrod | R | 4.16 |
| Wandy Peralta | L | 4.28 |
| Shaun Anderson | R | 3.98 |
| Connor Menez | L | 4.16 |
| Dany Jimenez | R | 4.12 |
| Caleb Baragar | L | 5.04 |
| Logan Webb | R | 4.22 |
| Rico Garcia | R | 4.31 |
The Giants return much of the same bullpen that finished last season with the NL's lowest ERA, with one notable exception. Will Smith turned a 34-save campaign into a lucrative contract with the Atlanta Braves, and now San Francisco has tabbed Tony Watson to replace him.
Losing Reyes Moronta for a portion of the season also hurts, making the additions of veterans Triggs and Peralta that much more important for the bullpen's success.
Key injuries/Absences
| Player | Position | Absence |
|---|---|---|
| Buster Posey | C | Opted out of season |
| Evan Longoria | 3B | Oblique strain |
| Brandon Belt | 1B | Heel issue |
| Tyler Beede | SP | Tommy John |
| Reyes Moronta | RP | Shoulder surgery |
| Billy Hamilton | OF | Undisclosed |
| Jarlin Garcia | RP | Undisclosed |
| Aramis Garcia | C | Hip surgery |
| Trevor Cahill | SP/RP | Fingernail |
(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)