Giants on the hot seat:
1B Aubrey Huff
One of the many heroes of the Giants postseason glory of 2011, Huff was both a lovable character on and off the field with his flair for the dramatic.
Fans of all teams tend to have short memories and operate under the "what have you done for me lately" mentality, one that has turned Huff from hero to potential castoff in less than a calendar year.
Huff will turn 35 in December and must prove he can beat out up and coming youngsters like Brandon Belt and Brett Pill in order to have a spot on the roster.
His age, coupled with the fact that he hit only 12 homeruns after hitting 26 in 2010, means Huff will be on a short leash to prove his worth.
Prediction:
Unless Huff has an eye-opening performance in spring training, Belt and Pill are both younger options with much brighter futures for the organization who could spell the end of Huff's tenure.
Bruce Bochy was comfortable using Pill in the middle of the order, watching the rookie collect a number of key hits in September for the Giants.
Belt also came on late in the season after struggling to take Huff's job out of the gate in 2010. If he can get close to replicating his outstanding minor league numbers at the major league level, Belt shouldn't have any issue outperforming Huff's production in 2011.
The only downside is having to eat the rest of Huff's $11 million dollar contract, something Bochy said wouldn't be an issue if he doesn't rebound from last season.
C Eli Whiteside/Chris StewartFollowing the Buster Posey injury, both Whiteside and Stewart were forced into regular duty after spending the majority of their careers as backups.
With Posey slated to return to catcher in 2012, there will only be room for one backup catcher, all but assuring either Whiteside and/or Stewart will not be with the club.
Another factor was the emergence of young catcher Hector Sanchez, who shot through the minor league system and hit .258 with the big league club in 31 at-bats.
If Sanchez can improve defensively behind the plate, the Giants appear to have confidence in his bat to be ready for the major league level.
Prediction:
While Stewart proved to be a defensive asset for the team with a great throwing arm, that may not be enough to earn the backup position over a younger Sanchez who has been on a fast track through the system.
Whiteside has likely played his last game as a Giant, meaning either Stewart or Sanchez will serve as Posey's backup next season.
The Giants don't want to rush Sanchez and think he still needs time to develop in the minor leagues, but if his bat comes to life in spring training they will give him a serious look to supplant Stewart as the backup.
Other Giants on the fringe:
CF Andres Torres
Torres battled several injuries and wasn't the same spark-plug that ignited the 2010 offense.
While he is in great phyiscal shape for his age and maintains outstanding speed, he still strikes out too much for a leadoff hitter and needs to prove he can stay healthy for a full season.
Gary Brown is unquestionably the center fielder of the future and is waiting in the wings if Torres can't get the job done.
Even if Brown isn't ready for the start of 2012, Torres has a limited window if he wants the opportunity to play a full major league season as he did in 2010.
Tell 'em goodbye:
SS Orlando Cabrera
(Failed to impress after being aquired from Cleveland; not a part of next year's plans)
IF Mark DeRosa
(Too many infielders and Pablo set at third base means DeRosa may be done in SF)
OF Pat Burrell
(Probably will announce his retirement if he isn't re-signed by SF--which isn't likely)
RP Javier Lopez
(Excellent for SF as a left-handed specialist; that success will earn him a hefty contract elsewhere)
CF Justin Christian
(Emergency outfielder after injuries to Torres, Shierholtz and Ross; likely the odd man out)
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