Following a 2011 season that failed to match the magical ride of last year's world series run, the Giants will be looking to a number of players in the their minor league system to help reconstruct one of the league's worst offensive teams. Here are a few players that will get looked at to be everyday players at one point or another in 2012:
Gary Brown (CF): California League 2011 Rookie of the Year (San Jose Giants)
In his first full season of pro ball, Brown was the "talk of the town" in San Jose after taking the California League by storm with a .336 batting average, 80 RBIs and 53 stolen bases.
An oldschool leadoff hitter with top-tier speed, Brown also flashed some power with 14 homeruns in 559 at-bats to compliment his top of the order skill set.
The Giants resisted the urge to promote Brown from single-A San Jose to the big league club, but dearly needed his speed and presence from the leadoff spot as Andres Torres was far from emulating his 2010 form.
With Torres aging and uncertain, Brown will get a chance out of spring training in 2012 and if he turns enough heads, just may supplant the elder Torres for the leadoff job.
If Sabean and the Giants prefer to stick with Torres out of spring training, Brown will be their first insurance policy out of the minor leagues and will get his first shot at Double-A and Triple-A pitching.
Brown heads to a notoriously strong pitching league in the Arizona Fall League this offseason, getting his first taste of major league quality pitching.
Joe Panik (SS): San Francisco Giants first round draft pick (29th overall) in 2011/St. Johns
The Giants were looking for an offensive minded shortstop by taking Panik in the first round and have been pleasantly surprised with his production after signing in June.
Playing for the Salem Kaiser Volcanoes (Rookie League), Panik hit .341 in 270 at-bats with four homeruns and 54 RBIs in his first season of pro ball.
He will be assigned to the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League, playing with Gary Brown and other Giants prospects trying to make their case for a job in 2012.
If Panik shows his bat is ready for strong Arizona Fall League pitching, he could start the 2012 season in Double-A and potentially Triple-A if the Giants are unable to resolve their shortstop position in the offseason.
Miguel Tejada has already been cut loose and Orlando Cabrera may be next. Mike Fontenot, Brandon Crawford and Jeff Keppinger remain as the only other big league options left on the roster, making it possible the Giants may fast-track Panik if they can't sign a short-term solution.
While 2012 would be an incredibly fast track for Panik to arrive in the show, his production with the bat may force the Giants hand at a position that rarely yields offensive stars.
Brett Pill vs. Brandon Belt: Who will take Aubrey Huff's job at first base in 2012?
A miserable offensive season in 2011 for Aubrey Huff may be an indication that his career numbers in 2010 may never again be matched by the aging first baseman.
With one year still remaining on Huff's deal the Giants will have to find a role for him or eat a multi million dollar contract.
Brandon Belt wasn't able to take Huff's job out of spring training this season and was eventually sent down to Fresno where he responded by hitting everything thrown his way.
If his minor league numbers are any indication, Belt could be an offensive force at first base once he adjusts to the heavy dose of offspeed pitches he has seen as a major leaguer.
Manager Bruce Bochy has tried Belt in the outfield this season but it's clear Belt is most comfortable at first.
The only problem with moving him back has been the unexpected emergence of fellow first baseman Brett Pill, who was hitting above .300 in his first 35 at-bats for the Giants.
Pill has hit a rough patch of late, dropping his average to .268 after 41 at-bats, but Bochy has given him a vote of confidence by putting his name in the middle of the lineup while the Giants were still in the race.
The fastest player in the minor leagues to 100 RBIs, Pill has shown the ability to drive in runs for a Giants offense that desperately needs such production.
While he has only had 41 at-bats in 2011, Pill's eight RBIs puts him on pace to knock in more than 90 runs at the major league level if you translate his numbers over a typical 500 at-bat major league season.
Those numbers are something the Giants would pay dearly for to have in the middle of their 2012 lineup, making Pill an inexpensive option that could pay big dividends if he can replicate such statistics next season.
Belt was the favorite for the job going into the season and still is clearly in the running, but Pill's production has at least earned him the right to compete for the job out of spring training.
But unless Belt spends a signifigant amount of time working on his outfield defense, it doesn't appear that is where he will spend his future as a Giant, furthing complicating the competition at first base in 2012.
On top of the three first baseman the Giants already have on the roster, San Francisco has hinted at moving catcher Buster Posey to first to prolong his career after a season-ending injury.
Sabean will either have to make a tough decision with Huff if he doesn't hit in the spring or be forced to part ways with one of the young first baseman to shore up other areas in a trade.
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