Prelim, v0.1. Sample projections (see below, revised 11/30):

PITCHING
Lincecum - 203ip, 14-10, 212K, 3.32 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 4.6 WAR
Cain - 205ip, 13-11, 163K, 3.63 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 4.0 WAR
Sanchez – 168ip, 10-10, 167K, 3.94 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 2.5 WAR
Bumgarner - 109ip, 7-6, 88K, 3.74 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 1.9 WAR
Zito - 186ip, 10-12, 135K, 4.39 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 2.0 WAR
Wilson -74ip, 79K, 2.99 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.6 WAR

BATTING
Torres - 472 PA, 11hr, 48rbi, 17sb, 256/324/445, .333 wOBA, 21 BRAR
Sanchez - 553 PA, 9hr, 53rbi, 280/321/398, .314 wOBA, 17 BRAR
Huff - 644 PA, 20hr, 88rbi, 267/343/451, .346 wOBA, 31 BRAR
Posey - 477 PA, 13hr, 60rbi, 281/358/445, .353 wOBA, 28 BRAR
Burrell - 536 PA, 21hr, 75rbi, 242/344/441, .344 wOBA, 19 BRAR
Ross - 541 PA, 18hr, 72rbi, 267/325/451, .335 wOBA, 16 BRAR
Sandoval - 617 PA, 17hr, 78rbi, 290/341/464, .349 wOBA, 37 BRAR
DeRosa - 424 PA, 12hr, 55rbi, 258/336/418, .331 wOBA, 18 BRAR
Belt - 626 PA(!!), 15hr, 81rbi, 15sb(!!), 267/357/452, .354 wOBA, 32 BRAR woohoo

What the Giants' highest ranked prospect EVAR has been up to.

Also: Ainsworth, Williams, Foppert :(

Other than he's still under team control, that is.

Giants general manager Brian Sabean said Thursday that the discussions at Nashville’s Opryland Hotel were "conceptual" and had an extended shelf life because "there wasn’t any closure" until he signed free agent Aaron Rowand a few days later to a five-year, $60-million deal.

That’s as far as it went. Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez were two starters of some interest to the Blue Jays – to this day, there are those who worked with Ricciardi who wonder if the Blue Jays wouldn’t have had Cain had the deal not been so public – but in his heart Sabean knew the value of cost-effective, homegrown starting pitching. In the end, it was easier to spend ownership’s money than break faith with his player development people.

AT BEST!

24. Justin O'Conner, SS, Cowan H.S., Cowan, Ind.

Yep, it's way early and Klaw's list should change significantly between now and June, but just for fun, here are some links. O'Conner sounds like a prep version of Posey in that he can play C, SS or RHP. Yay, versatility!

Links

Scouting report
http://pnrscouting.com/scoutingreports_2010_oconnerju.html

Article
http://www.perfectgame.org/stories/09_07_07_justin_oconner/

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P52vlW8oQSs

In the three years since the Giants divorced themselves from the Barry Bonds era, they have talked repeatedly about getting younger, faster, healthier and homegrown.

But here is the important question as pitchers and catchers report to spring training Wednesday: Will an older, slower lineup score more runs?

Giants to test offensive options in spring
Bochy will be 'open-minded' to try to increase production
JuggerNate potential leadoff
Will try Burriss and Frandsen around the infield (!)

Oh my.

The Mets announced today that they will reduce the height of Citi Field's center field wall prior to the 2010 season. Ostensibly, the reason for the 16-foot to 8-foot reduction is to help make up for the Mets massive power outage in Citi Field's first season, which saw the team drop from 172 homers in 2008 to just 95 in 2009.

General manager Brian Sabean watched from the back of the theater, among the standing-room-only crowd. He had planned to stay for just a few minutes. But, as he told his players at a team meeting the following morning at AT&T Park, the event "was so compelling I stayed for the whole thing.''

"I was very impressed with last night,'' he told them. "In listening to everything you had to say, three themes emerged: You are humble. You are respectful. And you have passion. This team is in a great frame of mind going into the season.''

For the Grizzlies Hot Stove Banquet.

Posey's performance in the AFL may explain why Giants general manager Brian Sabean told reporters that "nobody thinks he's ready to catch 100-plus games in the big leagues."

In his next breath, Posey acknowledges he still has plenty to learn about the finer points of catching, including calling pitches and handling a staff.

Pablo - 1,851 hits, 219 HR; odds of 3000 hits 13.8%, 500 HRs 3.3%

Timmeh - 121 wins; odds of 300 wins 4.6%
Cain - 116 wins; 3.8%
Zito - 166 wins; 2.8%
Sancheese - 62 wins; 1.2%

2012 FREE AGENT SPs AVAILABLE TO THE YANKEES
Josh Johnson
Felix Hernandez
Justin Verlander

Because not everyone can be doom and gloom about the Giants' chances in '10.

I didn't see a link to this but if this is already being discussed elsewhere, let me know and I'll delete this FanShot.

The agent for right-hander Tim Lincecum said the Giants have not engaged in significant contract negotiations and he is convinced the two-time Cy Young award winner’s arbitration case will reach the hearing stage.

"I respectfully disagree and I’ll leave it at that," Evans said.

The New York Times interviews the Say Hey Kid and previews his soon-to-be-released biography, Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend. (NYT registration required)

"Mays wears hearing aids. He has had trouble with his eyes lately, and his voice is a little growly, without the high-pitched glee that reporters described during the early years of his career, when he was known and beloved as the Say Hey Kid.

Still, when he lights on a pleasing baseball memory, his eyes widen, his laugh becomes a whinny and years melt from his face. It is telling that just as the interview began, he reached for a Giants cap and put it on."

You can probably guess who's representing the Giants.

Read 'em and weep...

In fact, barring injury, San Francisco will have a better Opening Day lineup this year than it did in 2009. And I understand that Sabean has been somewhat limited by the unprecedented nature of Tim Lincecum's arbitration case, which could cause a big jump in commitments to current players. Then there is AT&T Park, with its big lawn and faraway fences that have been known to deter free agent sluggers.

But if I were a Giants fan, I would feel unfulfilled by all of this. This team entered the offseason with a great pitching staff and money to spend. They were down three points, with the ball, first and goal, late in the fourth quarter … and kicked a field goal.

The nicer side of town

FA projections:
http://www.baseballprojection.com/2010/FREE2010p.htm

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will step down when his contract runs out after the 2012 season.

The newspaper reports a group of five owners approached Selig at the recently concludes owners meetings about staying on the job after his contract expires. Unlike the previous two times such a scenario occurred, however, Selig reportedly turned down the offer. His reasoning: He wants to do other things while he can. That could include writing a book or teaching, according to the newspaper.

The Chicago Tribune noted that one of Selig's final acts as commissioner will be to negotiate the next labor agreement in 2011.

On trades, trades and more trades; why he supports Sabes (wheee, this one is fun!); Rafael Rodriguez; next year's fifth starter; and Marlon Byrd.

Buster Olney/Baseball Prospectus season recap (preview only below, you need Insider access for the full article)

It was fun while it lasted.

What went wrong: The whole baseball world knew two incontrovertible truths about the Giants as spring training began. No. 1, they figured to have great pitching -- and No. 2, they had a chance to have the worst offense in the majors. San Francisco proved all the pundits right on both counts. Their lack of pop really took them down. The Giants ranked 27th in runs scored, next-to-last in homers (they can thank the baseball gods for the Mets), and next-to-last in slugging percentage. GM Brian Sabean had hoped that the addition of Freddy Sanchez before the trade deadline would augment the lineup, but instead, Sanchez got hurt a lot and really wasn't a factor.

Biggest puzzler on the drawing board: So, how do they get a frontline hitter, something they've needed since ol' No. 25 walked away from San Francisco? Well -- in time, young Buster Posey is expected to be an excellent offensive catcher, someone who combines power with an ability to draw walks and get on base. But the Giants need a big-time thumper right away, which is why GMs with other teams are wondering if they'll be aggressive in throwing money at the two best free agent outfielders, Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, or if they'll seriously entertain the possibility of dealing pitchers Matt Cain (whose trade value is off the charts and might be good enough to fetch a slugger in return) or Jonathan Sanchez (who has much less trade value than Cain). It's hard to imagine the Giants will settle for another year of a toothless attack.

NYT article on the Defenders moving out of Norwich, CT to Richmond, VA.

Official press release here.