San Francisco Giants Mailbag: Pressure, Posey, Power

Sep 5, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Adam Duvall (37) hits a single in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Given Pence’s injury, I, too, have been thinking about if Duvall could put his name into the conversation and ultimately win the last bench spot heading into Opening Day. Before we get into the analysis, let’s first give a little background information.

On the bench, the Giants have Ishikawa and Gregor Blanco, and it seems like Joaquin Arias will earn a bench spot too. Based on that, there will be one bench spot open, and the candidates for that spot include Matt Duffy, Juan Perez, Brandon Hicks, and Ehire Adrianza (who has a strong case for winning that spot since he is out of minor league options).

Mar 4, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Ehire Adrianza (1) hits a single during the third inning against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training baseball game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

With Pence out though, it’s quite possible the Giants will want to give that last bench spot to Perez, who can play all three outfield spots. With Pence healthy, the Giants were assuming Ishikawa could be the “fifth outfielder,” given his experience, although somewhat limited, in left field.

Given that information, does Duvall have a shot at making the final 25-man roster?

Although Duvall has looked strong at times during Spring Training so far, I don’t see him making the final 25-man roster. He has certainly put his name into the conversation of the candidates for the last roster spot, given his ability to play third and first base and his power.

However, it seems like the Giants really aren’t worried about their somewhat lack of power this season, even with Pence out. Both Bochy and Brian Sabean have said that they’re expecting some more power from players such as Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik in 2015, and they also expect Belt to have a breakout season, especially in terms of power.

Sabean has also pointed out the Giants’ ability to win games without hitting home runs. He also noted how the Giants have gotten to the World Series even in years that they have been near the bottom of the league in home runs.

Bochy has also spoken about how the Giants play “small ball” and focus on getting the little things done (such as putting down a good bunt, moving baserunners over, taking advantage of an opponent’s errors, etc.) in order to get wins, instead of relying on power. The Giants will continue to play this type of baseball, especially with the additions of Nori Aoki and Casey McGehee.

Bochy has played with the lineup already, with Pence out, in order to find a spark in the middle of the lineup by, for example, having Pagan hit third and moving Posey and Belt to the fourth and fifth spots. This might not make up for the power, but again, it focuses on small ball.

With Pence out, that obviously leaves a big hole in the middle of the lineup and in the power category, but given the fact that Pence will most likely only be out a few weeks or a month of the regular season, Bochy might not want to commit a roster spot to someone like Duvall, who would primarily be there for power.

The decision for the last roster spot will also come down to how much the Giants value an experienced fifth outfielder (if they do, they’ll give Perez the last spot) and how much they value Adrianza. If the Giants do not want to waive him, potentially even if he has a not-so-impressive spring, then Adrianza will earn the last roster spot, no matter what kind of potentially advantageous skills that Duvall might provide.

Next: Pablo Sandoval: Thank You for the Memories, but Good Riddance