San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Zobrist, Left Field, Starting Rotation

Oct 22, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jake Peavy throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning during game two of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

A) Robert Maffei: What will the Giants’ starting rotation look like in 2015?
B) Sean McMahon: Are the Giants done bolstering their starting rotation (i.e. Shields talk)?

I thought I’d answer both of these questions together, because they both relate to the Giants’ starting pitching rotation.

Before I answer both questions, I should mention that it was reported yesterday evening that the Giants are now “out” on Shields, according to ESPN analyst Jim Bowden.

I never thought the Giants were interested in Max Scherzer, so I’m not surprised that they didn’t try to pursue him. I am a little surprised (and disappointed) that the Giants are supposedly out of the running for Shields. Re-signing Peavy helped bolster the Giants’ starting rotation a little, but signing Shields in addition to bringing back Peavy would’ve greatly improved the Giants’ rotation.

Now that Shields is reportedly out of the picture for the Giants, it doesn’t seem like they’ll be able to bolster the starting pitching rotation anymore, because of their limited financial flexibility and the lack of starting pitching options currently available.

Therefore, the Giants’ starting rotation in 2015 will most likely be: Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Peavy, Tim Hudson, and Tim Lincecum. The Giants will continue to use Yusmeiro Petit as the long reliever, a role in which he excels at and which provides a lot of value to the Giants.

Look for the Giants to be active in the first half of the season or at the trade deadline in search of a starting pitcher if Lincecum shows signs of inconsistency again.

Next: Buster Posey leads the Giants in 2015 and beyond