The San Francisco Giants had one hell of an offseason. They didn’t have to worry about keeping their own roster intact since most were all under contract, so they went out and signed two of the best pitchers in free agency.
The Giants needed to add some arms in order to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have proven they don’t care about the luxury tax and will spend accordingly. The Giants don’t have the same mindset, but they are smart about their money when they do open their checkbooks.
The Giants are dangerous when they have elite pitching. Can they win another World Series this season?
Here is the 2016 MLB season preview for the San Francisco Giants.
2015 Win/Loss Record: 84-78
Key Additions: SP Jonny Cueto, SP Jeff Samardzija & OF Denard Span
Key Losses: OF Nori Aoki, OF Marlon Byrd, SP Tim Hudson, SP Mike Leake, RP Yusmeiro Petit, SP Tim Lincecum, SP Ryan Vogelsong, OF Alejandro De Aza & OF Justin Maxwell
Interleague Schedule: AL East
Projected Starters: Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Matt Duffy, Brandon Crawford, Angel Pagan, Denard Span & Hunter Pence
Projected Starting Rotation: Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Jake Peavy & Matt Cain
Closer: Santiago Casilla
Fantasy Sleeper: 3B Matt Duffy – He’s not much of a sleeper, but I think he has more value than where’s he’s currently being drafted. He will get you 10+ homers and double-digit steals. I know people look for more power from their corner infield positions, but if one of your top guys get injured, he could be an ideal replacement short-term. He’s worth a spot on your bench.
Prospect To Keep Your Eye On: SP Kyle Crick – I know the Giants starting rotation is loaded and Chris Heston is waiting in the wings in case of an injury, but Crick could be the Giants next homegrown pitching stud. He spent the entire season in Double-A last year and had trouble with command. He needs to cut down on his walks, but that will come in due time. He could be a late-season call-up for the Giants.
Team Analysis: The Giants spent the offseason upgrading their starting rotation. They signed Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to slot in-between Madison Bumgarner and Jake Peavy in the rotation. Most teams would have loved just to net one of those pitchers.
Signing Cueto and Samardzija catapulted the Giants expectations for this season. They have nearly the same lineup and bullpen from a year ago. They won 84 games last season and you would think added those starters would add a few more wins to their total. This roster just looks like a future postseason team.
The Giants will battle with the Dodgers for the NL West crown and I expect the race to be tight all season. I predict at the very least, the Giants will get a Wild Card spot, but they could very well end up winning the division. The Giants are a dangerous team when they have solid starting pitching. They could add more trophies to their mantle after the season is over.
2016 Wins Over/Under Betting Line: 88.5 (Prediction: OVER)
2016 Projected Win/Loss Record: 91-71 (2nd in NL West)
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.