Let's try this again. After the ill-fated, injury-plagued, up-and-(mostly) down 2005 season that began with high expectations and finished with an exhausted whimper, the San Francisco Giants are set to take another crack at the ?Master Plan.? A master plan that relies very heavily on some very old bones, but a plan that, with a little bit of luck and good fortune, can end with fantastic results. The offseason was, as is always the case with Brian Sabean, eventful, even in its uneventfulness. The problem areas were exposed, patched, some filled, others left open to the elements. How it shakes out is going to be a matter of time, but early indications have been positive in the view of yours truly. Infield Mike Matheny returns behind the plate following up on another Gold Glove-winning season, matched by the most productive offensive season of his career. He remains one of the premier signal-callers in the game, and is a gem defensively. If he can match last season's output with the bat, the Giants will be in tremendous shape at the bottom of the order. Behind Matheny, questions abound. Justin Knoedler and Eliezer Alfonzo appear to be the competitors for the backup job, with Knoedler perhaps holding a slight edge at the moment. Situationally, both can likely fill in as well as Yorvit Torrealba did last season, at least offensively, but the handling of the pitching staff could be a minor issue on Matheny's off days or should an injury situation arise. First base appears to be the unresolved issue with the entire club, not just the infield. JT Snow was released, paving the way for young (and huge) Lance Niekro to presumably be handed the everyday job. After a torrid start last season, Niekro really slowed down, particularly against right-handed pitching. He will have to dramatically improve if he is going to fight off a platoon with Mark Sweeney. Sweeney is a dependable, if unspectacular, player who will see his share of starts at 1B. Will the Giants miss Snow's defensive wizardry? Will Niekro and Sweeney surpass Snow's offensive output enough to make people care? Uncertainty is the name of the game at first. Ray Durham continues to man 2B. After being dropped down to the middle of the order last season, Durham went on a tear, and it appears likely that he will remain in the middle of the order. He still has arguably the best speed on the team, and though his base-stealing numbers continue to decline, he can still make the aggressive baserunning plays that you need, particularly in the National League. Defensively, he still makes his share of errors, but overall, he's solid and will occasionally make the spectacular play. Omar Vizquel is coming off yet another Gold Glove season as well, and continues to be the best defensive shortstop in the game. He is the unquestioned leader of the infield troops, and can be trusted to make the right play 999 times out of 1000. His production with the bat slowed down as the season progressed last year, but he continues to be an ideal #2 hitter with his ability to sacrifice, work the count, advance runners, etc. Pedro Feliz finally has a position to call his own, and it is his best. Third base is now Feliz's everyday job after the trading of Edgardo Alfonzo. Feliz showed solid defensive abilities, even in limited action, early in his career at 3B, and a full season at that spot should only help. He remains a frustratingly inconsistent hitter, but it should be duly noted that he did lead the Giants in home runs and runs batted in last season. If he can raise his average to the .270-.280 range, he can vault himself into that next echelon. Jose Vizcaino will likely serve as the primary backup at all the infield positions save 1B and C. His versatility is special. Vizcaino and the aforementioned Sweeney also give the Giants two of the most dangerous and proven pinch-hitters in the game. Outfield Barry Bonds. Those two words can effectively sum up the Giants' fortunes in 2005, and their projected fortunes in 2006. His ability to remain healthy will be the unquestioned key. If he can play in 120-140 games, the Giants will have a strong chance to take the division. So far this Spring, he has looked like the same old Bonds, which has to give owner Peter MacGowan and Co. reason to smile. His defense remains average, but not a liability. Being able to pencil him in the lineup will be the hop in Felipe Alou's step. Randy Winn looks to build off his National League Player of the Month Award-winning September as the man patrolling center field. After being acquired from Seattle, Winn absolutely lit up the NL, and displayed excellent defensive skills as well. The temptation to move Winn into a power position in the lineup will surely be omnipresent, but many still feel the best use of Winn is as a leadoff hitter. Winn's speed and glove will have to be omnipresent in their own right, covering extra ground left by the two 40-something corner outfielders. Moises Alou returns to right field, where he will have to deal with the crazy dimensions of AT&T Park on a full-time basis. Alou still displayed terrific defense last season (mostly in left field), even at his advanced age. He never wastes a motion, in the field and at the plate. He will again be responsible for protecting Barry Bonds, and hopefully will actually get the opportunity to do so. Alou batted .321 last season and came up with plenty of clutch hits despite battling injuries himself. Brian Sabean finally got his wish when he received Steve Finley from Anaheim in the Alfonzo deal. Sabes had pursued Finley in free agency twice in the past and was rebuffed both times, but now Finley assumes the 4th outfielder role, a role which will likely carry more playing time than most other 4th outfielders in baseball. Finley is still most comfortable in CF, but he can likely play any outfield spot well enough. His bat went to sleep last season, but he too battled injuries and was never able to get going. When he's right, he's still a formidable hitter with the power to go to the Cove. One of the many young outfielders the Giants have will likely make the roster to spell all the old men. Jason Ellison did a serviceable job last season, and has a chance to be back, but will have to fight off Nate Schierholz, Dan Ortmeier, and Todd Linden. Ellison's speed and defensive prowess seem like the best fit to keep on the club for pinch-running and defensive replacement duties. Starting Rotation Jason Schmidt returns as the staff ace. Despite battling a variety of injuries last season, he still posted solid numbers considering the circumstances. His arm appeared to be going through a ?dead? phase, not unlike Roy Halladay a few years ago; if he can regain some of his velocity, terrific. If not, he still showed he can effectively pitch, but will now have the added benefit of not having to change his entire pitching mentality on the fly. Expect a strong bounceback from Schmidt this season, maybe not to his utter dominance of the early 2000s, but the reliable, innings-eating unquestioned leader of the rotation. Filling the second spot in the rotation will be the chief prize of free agency, Matt Morris, brought over from St. Louis to re-unite with Mike Matheny. Morris, like Schmidt, has lost velocity as the years have passed, mostly due to problems with his labrum. But Morris, also like Schmidt, showed he can still deal effectively. He still has the great curveball, and he can still bring the fastball with enough juice to get it by hitters. Having a veteran like Morris at the top end of the rotation is something the Giants have wanted, and needed, for several years. Noah Lowry, who closed as one of the hottest pitchers in all of baseball (including Nation League Pitcher of the Month in August), appears firmly entrenched in the #3 spot. Lowry seems to routinely get off to a slow start, then round into form at the All-Star Break; if he can consistently put it together early in the season and carry it through, he can be a 20-game winner. His changeup still baffles hitters, and with the tutelage of Matheny is using his fastball and breaking pitches more frequently. Matt Cain, after a dazzling September debut, seems destined to man the 4th spot on the staff. It's a bit dangerous to expect a significant number of innings out of Cain this season, but with some of the other young arms at the Giants' disposal, that should not be an issue. Cain has electric stuff and the confidence to match. A power pitcher in every sense of the word, he has a dominating fastball and a nice array of off-speed pitches that should only improve with age (he is only 21). The last spot in the rotation is up-for-grabs at the moment. Brad Hennessey, Jamey Wright, and Kevin Correia appear to the three candidates for the position. All of them are likely to see duty this season in spots because of the youth of Cain and the age of Morris and Schmidt, but I would expect Hennessey to get a shot at the 5 to begin the season. He is still inconsistent, but he has as much intestinal fortitude as any pitcher in baseball. Having a guy with moxie is always a plus, because you can teach pitches...you can't teach guts. Bullpen After finally replacing Robb Nen last season with Armando Benitez, the Giants watched the plan go up in smoke when Benitez tore the hell out of his hamstring and missed over 3 months. After his return, he pitched quite well under the circumstances, and was one of the chief factors in the Giants' late season run for the division title. He still has that closer's mentality, and though his fastball lost some juice because of the injury last season, he remains one of the best closers in the NL. The rest of the bullpen is an interesting blend of youth and veterans. After losing Scott Eyre to free agency, Brian Sabean was able to unload LaTroy Hawkins to Baltimore in exchange for lefty Steve Kline, who struggled mightily in Baltimore but is excited about a return to the National League and his former battery-mate Matheny. Tim Worrell, who flourished with the Giants in 2003, was also re-signed. Jeff Fassero returns as a middle reliever; his numbers do not reflect his effectiveness last season (his ERA is inflated from his spot starts). Tyler Walker, who filled in admirably as a closer last season, seems like the most likely candidate for the set-up role. Jack Taschner impressed in limited action last season, enough to send Jason Christiansen packing, and teams with Fassero and Kline to provide the Giants with a stable of quality left-handers. Scott Munter, who dazzled with his heavy sinker before being injured, returns as well. Hard-throwing Jeremy Accardo is in the mix as well. There is still some inexperience in the 'pen, but a lot of potential, and if Benitez can stay healthy, this unit could be one of the great strengths of the team in '06. Outlook Manager Felipe Alou has a lot of juggling to do this season. Dealing with off days for the aged outfield, the situation at 1B, figuring out what to do with the 5th spot in the rotation, et al. But he remains one of the premier managers in the game, and is as good an in-game strategist as you'll find. At the risk of beating a dead horse further to death: the key to the Giants' season rests on health, and the health of Barry Bonds in particular. Alou will do everything he can to ensure that Bonds is able to go as far as he can, and with Steve Finley now in tow to be able to spell him in a pinch, Bonds can relax (as much as someone under the amount of scrutiny he's under can) and focus on playing as many games as possible. There are still plenty of questions to be answered. Will the outfield hold up? Will Armando Benitez stay healthy? Will Lance Niekro nail down the everyday 1B job? But there is also a reason for optimism: this is a very winnable division. Los Angeles improved themselves in some ways, but they are in every bit the precarious position the Giants are, relying on the health of JD Drew and Nomar Garciaparra. San Diego appears to have regressed slightly, and Arizona, despite an influx of young talent, lost Troy Glaus. The NL West Title is there for the taking, and with a couple good breaks and (knock on wood) the good health of the majority of the veterans on the ballclub, the Giants easily could be the team to do just that. Projected 25-Man Roster Lineup CF Randy Winn SS Omar Vizquel 3B Pedro Feliz LF Barry Bonds RF Moises Alou 1B Lance Niekro C Mike Matheny Bench: Jason Ellison, Steve Finley, Mark Sweeney, Jose Vizcaino Rotation 1. Jason Schmidt 2. Matt Morris 3. Noah Lowry 4. Matt Cain 5. Brad Hennessey CL Armando Benitez Setup Tyler Walker LHP Jeff Fassero, Steve Kline, Jack Taschner RHP Jeremy Accardo, Scott Munter, Tim Worrell [email protected]