Bruce Bochy has been very quiet about what his postseason roster is going to look like. Now that the Giants have formally announced that they won’t bring Melky Cabrera with them to the postseason, the Giants’ coaches and management can bring along the players that truly helped them win the NL West. Bochy says that he is close to finalizing the 25-man roster, and one of the last things he has to consider is whether to have 11 or 12 pitchers. If he only has 11, he has to decide which position player will take that extra spot. When discussing this idea, Bochy brought up the disastrous 2003 playoffs that continue to haunt Giants fans today.

In 2003, the Giants decided to carry 12 pitchers on the roster because Jason Schmidt had a lingering elbow injury. Because of this, they were forced to leave off their fast outfielder, Eric Young. In Game 4 of the Division Series, the Marlins held a 2-1 lead in the series over the Giants and had a one-run lead in the ninth inning. Jeffrey Hammonds hit a single, and J.T. Snow tried to score from second. Snow was never known for his speed and was tagged out at home on a throw from Jeff Conine. Snow tried to hit the catcher, Ivan Rodriguez, hard enough that he might drop the ball, but Rodriguez, a future Hall of Famer, was able to hold on and give the Marlins the series win. If Young had been on the postseason roster, he could’ve pinch run for Snow and easily scored on the play. Therefore, the Giants are being cautious about bringing on too many pitchers, which could cost them speed.

Emmanuel Burriss

So who could the Giants bring on for speed? The two most likely options are Justin Christian or Emmanuel Burriss. Francisco Peguero has been used in several pinch-running situations, but both Christian and Burriss have more experience and could provide some more versatility than Peguero would. Both Christian and Burriss aren’t known for their hitting, but both can play solid defense, and, of course, both are fast enough to steal some bases and give the Giants an advantage in their running game. Christian provides depth in the outfield, and Burriss provides depth in the infield. If Hector Sanchez really is going to catch Lincecum and possibly Zito in the playoffs and Buster Posey plays first base, then Belt would most likely play in left field those games, which would give the Giants some extra outfield depth. Since Blanco, Nady, Pagan, and Pence will also be on the postseason roster as well, it might make more sense for the Giants to bring on Burriss if they want to add some speed, but it’s a very close call. Burriss also has more major-league experience than Christian, which could be imperative in the playoffs.

Bochy also hasn’t fully decided on what the starting rotation will look like either. It’s pretty certain that Matt Cain will start Game 1 of the Division Series and that Madison Bumgarner will start Game 2. Tim Lincecum might be starting Game 3, but his recent performance in San Diego might make the Giants re-think this idea. Bochy has said that Zito and Vogelsong will both make the playoff roster and could potentially start based on matchups. If not, one or both of them will be available as a long reliever, if Lincecum is one of the starters. There are also a lot of questions involving relief pitchers. The five relief pitchers that are pretty much guaranteed a spot are Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez, and Jose Mijares. This leaves one more spot open for a relief pitcher and it will most likely come down to George Kontos and Guillermo Mota. Kontos has been solid all year, but is young, which might give an edge to Mota. The fact that the Giants brought Mota back after his suspension shows that Bochy really believes in Mota and his abilities, which suggests that he will most likely be the 11th pitcher. If the Giants do decide to bring a 12th pitcher, then it seems as if Bochy would choose Kontos in that case.

Aubrey Huff

The Giants have to also consider some players that could come off the bench in pinch-hitting situations. It’s almost entirely certain that the Giants won’t bring on Eli Whiteside, Brett Pill, and Peguero. Some of the backup position players to consider for roster spots are Huff, Theriot, and either Christian or Burriss for speed. This season, Huff hasn’t been a starter, which is what he was used to being throughout his whole career. With Belt’s emergence as a reliable hitter, Huff has had to accept his role as a bench player, and, as of recently, has been pinch hitting pretty well. He can provide a left-handed bat off the bench, which is valuable to have in the playoffs. However, if Huff makes the roster, it makes even more sense to go with 11 pitchers and bring on Burriss, because Huff will need a pinch runner if he can reach base. Theriot is a solid, veteran player with lots of playoff experience and he also provides some infield depth. He could be the primary right-handed batter off the bench too. Then, if the Giants decide to carry only 11 pitchers, either Christian or Burriss could take the 25th roster spot.

Here’s a look at what the 2012 Giants postseason roster would mostly likely look like with 11 pitchers:

1. Bumgarner
2. Lincecum
3. Cain
4. Zito
5. Vogelosong
6. Affeldt
7. Casilla
8. Romo
9. Lopez
10. Mijares
11. Mota
12. Posey
13. Sanchez
14. Arias
15. Belt
16. Crawford
17. Sandoval
18. Scutaro
19. Blanco
20. Nady
21. Pagan
22. Pence
23. Huff
24. Theriot
25. Burriss

Here’s what the 2012 Giants postseason roster would most likely look like with 12 pitchers:

1. Bumgarner
2. Lincecum
3. Cain
4. Zito
5. Vogelosong
6. Affeldt
7. Casilla
8. Romo
9. Lopez
10. Mijares
11. Mota
12. Kontos
13. Posey
14. Sanchez
15. Arias
16. Belt
17. Crawford
18. Sandoval
19. Scutaro
20. Blanco
21. Nady
22. Pagan
23. Pence
24. Huff
25. Theriot

The final decisions on the postseason roster will come down to Kontos and Burriss. Even though the starting rotation isn’t totally set yet, Bochy has already said that all five starters will make the postseason roster. In terms of the final positions available, Bochy has to decide if he wants to add some speed to the roster, which could pay off in close-game situations near the end of the game, or whether he wants to have an extra pitcher available and not have to potentially overwork Romo, Lopez, etc.

The 2012 All-Star Game MVP, Melky Cabrera, has been suspended without pay for 50 games for taking performance-enhancing drugs. According to CSN Insider Andrew Baggarly, Cabrera tested positive for testosterone sometime during the All-Star Break, but the Giants weren’t informed of the suspension until yesterday before the final game of their three-game series against the Nationals. In a statement released by the player’s union, Melky Cabrera said, “My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.” Cabrera will miss the remainder of the season and the first five games of the postseason, if the Giants make the playoffs. However, if the Giants make it to the National League Championships, the timing of the end of his suspension will affect if he will be able to make the final playoff roster, since that is when he could be eligible.

Cabrera was having an MVP-like season while leading the National League in hits with 159 and was second in batting average, behind Pittsburgh Pirate Andrew McCutchen, with .346. He also had 11 home runs and 60 RBI’s. Cabrera showed off his fantastic throwing and accuracy in left field on numerous occasions for the Giants. Despite the offensive and defensive prowess that Cabrera has displayed so far this season, Giants fans will miss their everyday left fielder and newfound hero. The “Melk-Man” became a fan favorite almost immediately, and many fans hoped that the Giants would be able to re-sign Cabrera in the offseason.

Cabrera’s future with the Giants is now in question. After the Giants traded for Hunter Pence, Giants GM Brian Sabean said that they would still have cap space to try to re-sign Cabrera in the offseason. Given the current circumstances though, it seems unlikely that the Giants will re-sign Cabrera. Although he is a beloved figure by Giants fans, Bochy and Sabean might find it too risky to re-sign him, and, frankly, not trust him anymore. When asked about the likelihood of bringing back Cabrera next season, Bochy said he couldn’t answer that question yet. “This guy is a really good player, and he’s a good person,” Bochy said. “These are questions I can answer a little bit later, but not right now.”

The Giants have had unfortunate luck with drug suspensions this season with this one being their second. Guillermo Mota was suspended in May for 100 games, and this was his second drug suspension in his career. Buster Posey said of the Giants’ latest drug suspension, “Ultimately it’s just a bad decision, and that’s all I’m really going to say about that.” Clay Hensley said, “It’s tough, because you don’t know what’s going through someone’s head. He’s going to suffer the consequences, and we’ve got to move on. But he’s a big bat, so that’s easier said than done.”

It’s a little unclear and quite suspicious when exactly the Giants found out about Cabrera’s drug use because of the timing of his drug test and then later his suspension. The Giants were talking to Cabrera and his agent about a potential contract extension around the All-Star break, around when the supposed drug test happened. Instead of signing an extension, the Giants suddenly announced that they would continue discussing an extension in the offseason, which seemed a little abrupt and unexpected. Perhaps the Giants found out about the positive drug test and wanted to wait to see if it resulted in a suspension before an extension was signed. If a suspension was never announced, maybe the Giants would decide to re-sign him, and vice versa. According to Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO who went to prison for steroid distribution to MLB players, Cabrera is not alone in using performance-enhancing drugs, but he is one of the few that will actually be suspended for it. Conte estimated that about half of all MLB players use some type of performance-enhancing drugs. Based on those odds and the low number of suspensions handed out, the Giants could have perhaps had an incentive to wait and see, regarding Cabrera’s possible contract extension.

The loss of Cabrera for the rest of the season will force the Giants to step up more than they ever have this season. They are going to have to play near perfect the rest of the season to compete with the Dodgers for the NL West title. Cabrera did not seem like a guy who would use PED’s. He seemed too kind and grateful to be one of those players, but, unfortunately, that is not the case. The Giants are still probably in shock about his suspension, but they need to get over this quickly and start winning games more consistently. As Hensley said, it’s one thing for the players to say that they need to step up without Cabrera, but actually doing it and executing, that’s a whole other ballgame.

Hunter Pence

The Giants acquired Hunter Pence yesterday from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Nate Schierholtz, one of the Giants’ top prospects, Tommy Joseph, and Class A pitcher Seth Rosin, who is not considered a top prospect. In addition, the Phillies also sent over $500,000 to the Giants to help cover part of the $3.8 million left on Pence’s contract for 2012. The pros of this trade definitely outweigh the cons.

Let’s start with the pros. One positive aspect of the trade is that Pence is not a “rental player.” One of the reasons why so many fans disliked the Beltran trade is because his contract was up at the end of the 2011 season, meaning he would become a free agent after being with the Giants for only a couple months, and there was no guarantee that he would re-sign with the Giants. Pence’s contract ends in 2013, so he will be with the Giants through next season, unless the Giants decide Pence is too expensive and trade him at the end of the season (that seems unlikely though).

One potential negative aspect is that taking on Pence’s contract could mean that it would be hard to re-sign Melky Cabrera in the offseason. However, Brian Sabean said after acquiring Pence, “There is some flexibility in the budget hopefully to sign Melky and plug what our holes will be in off-season.” Cabrera is a player that the Giants cannot let get away, so it appears as if Sabean will do everything he can to keep Pence and Cabrera around. If the Giants can have Cabrera and Pence in the corners of the outfield next year, that would be a pretty unstoppable combination.

Tommy Joseph

Some fans could see trading away the number two prospect, Joseph, in the Giants’ system as a negative, however, it really is not. Joseph is a catching prospect, but the Giants already have plenty of catchers in the system with Andrew Susac rising in the ranks of prospects, Eli Whiteside, Hector Sanchez, and, obviously, Buster Posey. With the Giants’ depth at the catching position, trading Joseph is not a big loss. Rosin wasn’t a highly-ranked prospect, so losing him wasn’t too significant.

Nate Schierholtz

One negative is seeing Schierhotltz go. Giants fans will surely miss “Nate the Great” for his good attitude, all his years with the Giants, his incredibly accurate arm, and his excellent defense in AT&T Park’s strange right field. Schierholtz also had some great clutch, game-winning hits too. The bottom line is that Schierholtz played an important role on the Giants. He was a defensive specialist and a strong bench player who could come in to pinch hit and give the Giants a great at-bat. He was named the starter in right field a few times in his tenure with the Giants, but he was never able to consistently play in the starting lineup. Schierholtz has a natural power swing, and in a hitter’s park like Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Schierholtz will definitely show off his power that he wasn’t able to fully display at AT&T Park. Giants fans wish him nothing but the best in Philadelphia, especially since the Phillies lack outfield depth, he will get the starts that he deserves.

The main positive aspect of the trade that basically trumps all other aspects is Hunter Pence. The addition of Pence more than makes up for the loss of Schierholtz, who could never find offensive consistency, which cost him starts. His defense might not be as great as Schierholtz’ (although that’s an unfair comparison since Schierholtz’ defense in right field at AT&T Park is superior to anyone), but his hitting ability and his power is quite remarkable. In Pence’s career, he has hit a .290 average, .342 OBP, .481 slugging, 131 home runs, and 471 RBI’s. Pence is a two-time All-Star, and in 2011, when he was an All-Star, he hit a .314 average, .370 OBP, .502 slugging, 22 home runs, and 97 RBI’s. This season Pence is hitting .269, with 17 home runs, and 59 RBI’s. Pence, obviously, has incredible power and will fill the number five batting spot while Pablo Sandoval is out. The Giants needed outfield depth with Blanco and Pagan struggling, so Pence and his strong hitting will help the Giants immensely in their playoffs push. Hopefully, Pence can help the Giants win the NL West title.

This particular Giants team is one of my favorites in Giants history. It’s not simply because of the stellar pitching or because of Melky Cabrera or Buster Posey’s play, but the personality and character of this team is remarkable. This is a team full of fighters, believers, and hard workers. This is a team that the average sport’s fan would want to watch and would want to root for. I would enjoy more than anything for this Giants team to win the NL West (by edging out the Dodgers for the title) and making another World Series run. With the trade deadline approaching, do the Giants have enough though to make another World Series run? It’s not clear at this point. Let’s examine the Giants’ season so far.

Let’s first discuss the pitching. Everyone and their mother knows how fantastic the Giants’ starting rotation has been this year (with the exception of Tim Lincecum). The fact that three of the five starting pitchers for the Giants could have easily made the All-Star Game is impressive in itself. So far this season, Madison Bumgarner has a 3.10 ERA, Matt Cain has a 2.74 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong has a 2.26 ERA. In 2011, Barry Zito had a 5.87 ERA, and this season, he has improved his ERA to 3.75. Who would’ve thought that Tim Lincecum would’ve been the odd man out with a 5.88 ERA this season? Lincecum is battling a severe mental struggle right now as he tries to get out of his pitching funk. Lincecum has not been able to put together three quality starts in a row at any point this season, and that is for sure concerning. The Giants are 6-15 in Lincecum’s starts this year, and that is one of the most important statistics involving Lincecum right now. The Giants bullpen has been stellar as usual, but they have had their ups and downs. The true star in the Giants bullpen has been Sergio Romo. Romo has been the most consistent pitcher for the Giants this whole season with a 0.60 ERA, 35 strikeouts, 8 walks, and 14 hits allowed in 30 innings. Romo should’ve been an All-Star and probably should be named the Giants closer for the rest of the season, because of Casilla’s inconsistency. Giants’ GM, Brian Sabean, will try to acquire another pitcher for the bullpen before the trade deadline, but the pitching staff is already solid.

Giants fans received a lot of criticism (especially from Mets fans and management) about “stacking the vote” for starters for the NL All-Star team. I can understand that Pablo Sandoval didn’t exactly have All-Star numbers coming into the All-Star game, but Cabrera, Posey, and Cain all deserved to start at their respective positions, no doubt. There was no “stacking” for those particular players, because they are simply just the best at their positions, like it or not. The Giants players accounted for 5 of the 8 RBI’s in the All-Star Game, and, in addition, Matt Cain threw two scoreless innings to start off the game. Sandoval hit his first triple of the year and batted in three runs for the NL. Did he not deserve to start the All Star Game? Maybe, but he came through for his team and is a huge reason why the NL has home-field advantage now in the World Series. Cabrera, Posey, and Sandoval are the core of this offense, and Matt Cain is the ace of this pitching staff. To see these four players represent the Giants was quite incredible as a fan.

One of the main questions for this Giants team is what the everyday lineup will be for the rest of the season. One of the common lineups (spots 1-8) that has been used so far has been:

1. Blanco CF
2. Theriot 2B
3. Cabrera LF
4. Posey C
5. Sandoval 3B
6. Pagan CF
7. Belt 1B
8. Crawford SS

Bochy has tweaked the lineup a little recently, inserting Nate Schierholtz into the leadoff position and playing Sandoval at 1B and Arias at 3B. Regardless, the Giants have struggled all season with finding a consistent player for first base. Aubrey Huff is injured and wasn’t starting even when he was healthy, Brett Pill was sent back to the minors, and Brandon Belt has shown flashes of brilliance but, generally, has shown inconsistency as well. The front office wanted to send the message at the very beginning of the season that they wanted to have more youth on the team and that they would stick with their young players, even while knowing that they are prone to offensive struggles during the course of a season. It seems as though Sabean and Bochy should stick with their plan and, therefore, stick with Belt at first base. Unless they are willing to play Sandoval at first base and find a replacement at third base via trade, Belt is the best option. Belt cleared up to the media and the fans in a recent blog post that he still remains confident and that he believes in Bochy’s coaching strategies. Sabean and Bochy need to decide if they want to play Posey at first base more and start Hector Sanchez more at catcher, start Sandoval more at first base, or stick with Belt at first base, because Belt going to the minors is not and should not be an option. This potential move would negate everything that Giants management has said since the beginning of the season.

So who should the Giants target in free agency? Sabean has made it pretty clear that they will not be going after any big-name players, because they don’t have the financial resources to do so. However, Sabean will most likely go about this free agency period like he did during the 2010 season. He will target some pitchers for the bullpen and one or two bench players who will add more depth and versatility to the team. With these possible additions, it seems as if the Giants will be able to make it into the playoffs (through winning the NL West title or one of the two possible Wild Card spots). The Giants will need to improve their overall batting average with runners in scoring position and they will need to address Lincecum’s problems at some point, whether they like it or not. They need to be practical about his current mental approach to games and how inconsistent he can be not just game-to-game but inning-to-inning. If Bochy started Brad Penny one game and skipped one of Lincecum’s starts, that would send a clear message to Lincecum that this issue is on him. He needs to figure it out himself, because at this point in the season, it’s purely mental. If Lincecum can maintain a 4.00 ERA or lower throughout the rest of the season and if the Giants improve their clutch hitting with runners in scoring position, they have an excellent chance of being successful in the playoffs.