Andrew Baggarly-Mercury News
There will be no State of Barry this spring.
No finger-pointing news conferences. No questions about his achy knees, his home run total, his dabbling with magic potions or his standoff with the Feds.
For the first time since 1992, the Giants will report to Scottsdale, Ariz., without Barry Bonds. And for the first time in what feels like forever, the biggest headlines will be about honest-to-goodness baseball topics. The biggest battles will be for playing time. The biggest headaches will be from the strong Arizona sun.
The Giants enter the post-Bonds era with enthusiasm in spite of meager expectations. Their commitment to youth is coming a few years later than the rest of the National League West, which has become one of baseball's strongest divisions.
But youth has its attributes, not the least of which are energy and hope. Youth also means uncertainty, and there will be plenty of that as well. Manager Bruce Bochy has much to determine as he puts together his best possible club - an honest-to-goodness baseball team - from an odd collection of veterans and hungry kids.
Here are five questions that should be answered between now and the March 31 opener at Dodger Stadium:
1. Who will take command of the clubhouse?
Bonds was an aloof presence who played by his own rules and made it impossible for Bochy to enforce his. Still, Bonds was the dominant persona in the room and everyone took their cues from him.
They'll have to take their cues from one another now. New addition Aaron Rowand should add some grit to a clubhouse in which Randy Winn, Bengie Molina and Matt Cain also carry much respect.
"People will be allowed to be who they want to be, not who they think they have to be because there's such a heavy presence in the clubhouse," left-hander Barry Zito said. "Who am I at 29 years old to call a team meeting or fire up some guys when I've got one of the greatest players of all time sitting here?
It just wasn't my place to do it. I think a lot of guys felt like that."
Said General Manager Brian Sabean: "The players are excited. At least from the ones I've talked to, they're interested in making a statement."
2. Will the young guys seize their chance, and will the veterans begrudge them?
Rich Aurilia wants to start at third base. Ray Durham wants to start at second. Dave Roberts figures to bat leadoff and form the bulk of a left-field platoon.
But the old guard will report knowing they're in for a fight. Kevin Frandsen enters camp with an even-money shot at unseating Durham. Aurilia could lose at-bats if the club trades for Chicago White Sox third baseman Joe Crede. Roberts must outperform Fred Lewis, Nate Schierholtz and Rajai Davis - three younger players whose only avenue for at-bats is in left field.
"It'll probably be deep into the spring before we know who's going to be out there," Bochy said.
3. How do they form a competitive lineup?
The batting order figures to change from game to game, but Bochy would like to establish a somewhat stable top-5 this spring. As of now, only Winn and Rowand appear to be set, in the Nos. 3 and 5 spots, respectively.
Can Omar Vizquel recover from a terrible offensive season and put his bat-handling skills to work in the No. 2 hole? Or will he reinforce the notion that he's a No. 8 hitter? Can Molina, who was mentally exhausted amid all the losing last season, take on the added strain of being miscast as a cleanup hitter?
Roster composition is another question. The Giants would like to carry a third catcher so they could pinch run for Molina more often. And the outfield could be crowded, since Lewis and Davis are out of options and Schierholtz has nothing to prove in the minors.
In either case, it looks like the Giants will go with an 11-man pitching staff. But what would that mean for someone like talented left-hander Jonathan Sanchez, who hasn't found a home in the rotation or bullpen?
4. What does Sabean have up his sleeve?
The Giants' G.M. was stunned that more trades weren't completed this winter, given the volume of conversations. He remains involved in conversations for a hitter, with Crede an obvious target if his back is healthy.
Other clubs will have their sights set on left-hander Noah Lowry, who missed the last month of the season as a precaution because of a bone spur in his elbow. Lowry didn't have surgery and is expected to be fine; a strong spring would boost his trade value, perhaps giving Sabean the chip he needs to replace Molina with a legitimate young cleanup presence.
5. Will the bullpen inspire confidence?
If not, there remains a significant impulse to put Tim Lincecum in a relief role as a potentially dominating closer. Stuff-wise, few teams could match a trio of Tyler Walker, Brian Wilson and Lincecum shortening games over the final three innings.
The initial plan is for Lincecum to start. But given the Giants' blueprint to win close ballgames behind their strong rotation, it might be asking too much for the current bullpen to do what the team requires of it.
So the Lincecum debate figures to continue internally, especially if Sanchez turns the No. 5 starter competition with Kevin Correia into a spirited battle.
You know, the kind baseball teams have.
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