Buzz By The Bay

With the conclusion of the first two days of the 2010 MLB Draft, now is as good a time as ever to start looking toward the future of the San Francisco Giants. While the team’s hitting has looked abysmal for much of the season, there seems to be hope for the offense with some of the youngsters in the minor leagues who look to debut over the next few seasons.

Two years from now, the lineup will be hardly recognizable. The contracts of Bengie Molina, Aubrey Huff, Mark DeRosa, Freddy Sanchez, Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe will have expired, while Aaron Rowand will either be parked on the bench for the final year of his deal if not released altogether.

The only two position players from the current roster likely to be on the team in two years are Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval. Posey will finally have assumed his role as the team’s catcher for the next decade, while Sandoval will play a corner infield spot based on team need. To predict the rest of the future, we look to the farm.

Catcher: Behind Posey, there is one other catching prospect of note in 2009 second-round draft pick Tommy Joseph. Joseph is said to have monster power but is very raw as a catching prospect and as an overall hitter. Scouts have said he projects more as a first baseman and is currently DHing more than he is catching in low-A ball for the Augusta GreenJackets. While his current home run (6) and RBI (30) totals are promising, his low OBP (.275) and lack of a position indicate a steep learning curve. Though Joseph remains an intriguing prospect, he probably won’t reach the big leagues for a while.

First Base: Though you may not have heard of him yet, Brandon Belt might just be the top Giants prospect entering next season. The former Texas Longhorn was drafted in the fifth round last year, but impressed the Giants scouts enough to have him placed in A+ ball in San Jose as a first baseman. The tall lefty unexpectedly took off from there, and as of June 9 his .486 on-base percentage and 41 walks lead the Cal league, while his .578 Slugging Percentage ranks 3rd. He ranks 2nd in batting average by a thousandth of a point (.378), first in doubles (22), third in RBI (46), and even has 12 steals to his credit. With at least average defense at first base that should only improve in time, the only area of Belt’s game to pick apart is his diminutive home run total: 5. Though the power isn’t there yet, Belt is 6-5 yet only carries 195 pounds on his frame. This means he can continue to fill out, and all those doubles should start clearing fences in time. I would expect Belt to finish the season in Fresno, and eventually compete for the 2011 first base job in San Francisco, where his plate discipline and hitting ability will be welcome additions.

Middle Infield: Though the Giants don’t boast any top-tier middle infield prospects, they’ve stockpiled enough decent ones in hopes that one or two will pan out in time. Brandon Crawford and Ehire Adrianza are both solid defensive shortstops that have had trouble with the bat. If either player hits well in the second half, he would probably be the frontrunner to replace Renteria in 2011. Carter Jurica, a third-round pick yesterday out of Kansas State, will likely require some seasoning in the minors but could prove of value as well. At second base, the Giants boast a former first-round pick in Nick Noonan (32nd overall in 2007), but he has failed to put together an impressive minor league season. There is also the oft-injured Emmanuel Burriss — a former first-rounder himself — who has played a decent amount for San Francisco in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He is currently rehabbing from a foot injury in San Jose.

Third Base: Behind Sandoval, the only real third base prospect of note is Chris Dominguez, a 2009 third-rounder. The former Louisville star displays some serious power and a decent ability to hit for average but is currently stuck in Augusta to work on his fielding and plate discipline. He will likely move to San Jose next year, and could shoot up the farm system with an improved glove and a keener eye.

Center Field: This position was clearly the biggest priority heading into the draft yesterday, as the Giants selected speedy centerfielders with each of their first two picks. John Barr and Co. selected Gary Brown out of Cal State Fullerton with their first-round pick, and then nabbed Virginia standout Jarrett Parker in the second round. Those two, along with current San Jose prospect Francisco Peguero, will ensure that whoever mans center field over the next few years will have some serious wheels. While the emergence of Andres Torres for the Giants this season has been a blessing, Torres is already 32 and cannot be counted on to hit at such a torrid pace in the future.

Though it's very early and not one of the three is expected to crack the big leagues for a while, my money is on Parker. Parker was a projected first-rounder entering the 2010 season, but he regressed slightly from the year before across the board. Though slower than Brown, Parker remains plenty speedy, and is currently the better defender — he is said to have Gold Glove capabilities. Most importantly, Parker boasts the one thing that Peguero and Brown have failed to display — the ability to take a walk.

Corner Outfielders: As of last year, this area looked to be a strength of the farm system. Thomas Neal and Roger Kieschnick both entered the season as Top 10 Giants prospects according to Baseball America at four and seven respectively, and were even invited to Arizona this March for Spring Training. However, after breakout performances in San Jose last year, neither player has shown much of anything at the AA level. Both have seen significant drop-offs in power and batting average, and clearly will need some more time to adjust before advancing to the big leagues. Both prospects should rebound with more experience though, and Neal specifically has been heating up of late. Both could be in the majors by 2012.

Lastly, there will likely be some changes at the major league level by 2012. The only position player I see the team possibly re-signing is 2B Freddy Sanchez. He’ll be 34, and obviously we’ll have to see how the next few seasons go. However, if he is still displaying the same glovework at second while contributing with the bat, it will be hard to let him leave San Francisco. Also, with lots of money off the books and a need for outfield help, I would bet the Giants make a big splash via free agency over the next season or two. Let's say they get Jayson Werth. This is how our 2012 lineup could shake out:

CF Parker
2B Sanchez
C Posey
3B Sandoval
RF Werth
1B Belt
LF Neal
SS Crawford

While this team might lack the power of a more traditional lineup, it's very well suited for AT&T. Good defense up the middle, lots of high OBP guys, and most importantly, no aging vets swinging at sliders in the dirt. The development of a few of these prospects might be a pipe dream, but at least it seems we're headed in the right direction.