The San Francisco Giants think that manager Bruce Bochy is the right guy to get them to the playoffs. Bochy led the Giants to a 88-74 (54.3%) record despite the team having very little offense. He has now compiled a 231-255 (47.5%) record in his three years with the Giants. With the improvements the Giants have made on offense (Aubrey Huff & Mark DeRosa) I see them being a serious threat to dethrone the Dodgers in the N.L. West. Bochy has now managed 15 years in the majors compiling a 1,182-1,230 (49.0%) record while winning one N.L. pennant.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE MANAGER IN 2010: B+

28-year old righty Brian Wilson really stepped up last season for the Giants. He pitched in 68 games (0 starts) for the Giants last year and he was 5-6 with 38 saves, a 2.74 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Wilson whiffed 83 batters in only 72 1/3 innings for the Giants last season while allowing only 60 hits showing just how wicked he was. The Giants need Wilson to have another year like last one in 2010.

30-year old lefty Jeremy Affeldt had a career year in 2009 for the Giants. He pitched in 74 games (0 starts) for the Giants last season and he was 2-2 with a 1.73 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He only gave up 42 hits in 62 1/3 innings last season while whiffing 55 batters showing just how dominant he was in 2009. Affeldt will be the top lefty out of the pen in 2010 for the Giants.

27-year old righty Sergio Romo will be pitching late in games for the Giants in 2010. Romo pitched in 45 games (0 starts) for the Giants last season in which he was 5-2 with 2 saves, a 3.97 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. In two years with the Giants, Romo has pitched in 74 games (0 starts) in which he was 8-3 with 2 saves, a 3.04 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. Romo has only gave up 46 hits while whiffing 74 batters in 68 innings in his career with the Giants showing what kind of stuff he has.

36-year old righty Guillermo Mota signed on with the Giants over the winter. Mota pitched in 61 games (0 starts) for the Dodgers last season and he was 3-4 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He only gave up 53 hits in 65 1/3 innings last season for the Dodgers showing that he still has hit and miss stuff. Mota will help the Giants in 2010.

30-year old righty Brandon Medders had the best year of his major league career in 2009 and the Giants want him to repeat it in 2010. Medders pitched in 61 games (0 starts) for the Giants last season and he was 5-1 with 1 save, a 3.01 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Medders walked 32 batters in only 68 2/3 innings so he needs to tighten up his control a bit.

27-year old lefty Alex Hinshaw was really awful last season for the Giants. Hinshaw pitched in 9 games (0 starts) for the Giants last season and he was 0-0 with a 12.00 ERA and a 2.83 WHIP. But, in 2008 Hinshaw pitched decent and the Giants are hoping that he can get back to that point in 2010. Hinshaw pitched in 48 games (0 starts) for the Giants in 2008 in which he was 2-1 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP.

29-year old righty Santiago Casilla has an electric arm but he just hasn’t converted it into results in his major league career. Casilla pitched in 46 games (0 starts) for the A’s last season and he was 1-2 with a 5.96 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. It will be interesting to see if the Giants can coach up Casilla in 2010.

27-year old righty Denny Bautista has been pretty awful in his career to date. Bautista pitched in 14 games (0 starts) for the Pirates last season and he was 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. He has now pitched in 100 games (21 starts) in his six years in the majors and he is 9-15 with a 6.26 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. Don’t expect much out of him in 2010.

27-year old lefty Andy Sisco has not pitched in the majors since 2007 with the White Sox. He has pitched in 151 games (0 starts) in his major league career and he is 3-9 with 1 save, a 5.18 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. If Sisco can stay healthy and throw strikes the Giants might have something in him.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2010: B+

The Giants have traded 27-year old righty swinging infielder Kevin Frandsen to the Red Sox for a player to be named later. Frandsen played in 23 games for the Giants last season and he was 7 of 50 (.140 avg, .384 OPS) with 3 runs scored and 1 RBI. He played four seasons for the Giants appearing in 174 games in which he was 98 for 408 (.240 avg, .645 OPS) with 41 runs scored, 7 homers, 39 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. The Giants likely won’t miss Frandsen too much as he just didn’t play well for them last season.

25-year old righties Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain will anchor the starting staff for the Giants in 2010. Lincecum started 32 games for the Giants last season in which he was 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He only gave up 168 hits in 225 1/3 innings for the Giants last season and he whiffed 261 batters showing how nasty he is. Lincecum will be looking to win his third Cy Young Award in a row in 2010. He has pitched in 66 games (65 starts) in his last two seasons in which he is 33-12 with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Lincecum has whiffed 526 batters the last two years while giving up only 350 hits in 452 1/3 innings. As long as Lincecum stays healthy he will be one of the top pitchers in all of baseball.

Matt Cain started 33 games for the Giants last season and he was 14-8 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He only gave up 184 hits in 217 2/3 innings last season while whiffing 171 batters as he also has outstanding stuff. Cain just never seems to have any luck with run support or bullpen help when he pitches as he should have won at least 17 games last year. Cain has pitched in 138 games (137 starts) in his major league career and he is 44-51 with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Cain has only given up 744 hits in 872 1/3 innings in his major league career. Cain has the stuff to be an ace of a rotation. I look for him to challenge Lincecum for the Cy Young Award in 2010.

31-year old lefty Barry Zito started 33 games for the Giants last season and he was 10-13 with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He really looked good the second half of last season and the Giants hope his success will carry over into 2010. Zito has pitched in 99 games (98 starts) in his three years with the Giants and he is 31-43 with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Zito still has the big snapping curveball so maybe he will give the Giants the year they have been waiting for from him.

27-year old lefty Jonathan Sanchez is better than he has shown to this point in his career as he has outstanding stuff but terrible control. If he starts throwing strikes in 2010 there is no reason to think he can’t win 12-15 games this year. Sanchez pitched in 32 games (29 starts) for the Giants last season in which he was 8-12 with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. He only allowed 135 hits in 163 1/3 innings last season while whiffing 177 batters which shows what kind of stuff he has. He even threw a no-hitter last season which shows that when he is right he can dominate. But, he walked 88 batters last season and it often got Sanchez into trouble.

20-year old lefty Madison Bumgarner is in the hunt for the #5 starting job for the Giants in 2010. He is the Giants’ #2 rated prospect heading into 2010 according to Baseball America. Bumgarner pitched in 4 games (1 start) for the Giants at the end of last season and he was 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Bumgarner also pitched in 25 games (24 starts) in A+AA-ball last year in which he was 12-2 with a 1.85 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He has really laid waste to minor league competition so far in his career. In two years in the minors, Bumgarner has pitched in 49 games (48 starts) in which he is 27-5 with a 1.65 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. He has only allowed 211 hits in 273 innings in the minors while whiffing 256 batters in the minors. If Bumgarner doesn’t win the #5 job in the starting rotation he will likely start the year in AAA with a call up by the Giants as soon as he is needed.

31-year old righty Todd Wellemeyer is Bumgarner’s top competition for the #5 job in the rotation. Wellemeyer pitched in 28 games (21 starts) for the Cardinals last season in which he was 7-10 with a 5.89 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. He gave up 160 hits in only 122 1/3 innings last season while walking 57 batters. The Giants are hoping that Wellemeyer reverts back to the pitcher he was in 2008 with the Cardinals. In 2008, Wellemeyer pitched in 32 games (all starts) for the Cardinals in which he was 13-9 with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. If Wellemeyer isn’t in the starting rotation for the Giants in 2010 he will be the long reliever.

27-year old righty Joe Martinez pitched in 9 games (5 starts) for the Giants last season in which he was 3-2 with a 7.50 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP. Martinez gave up 46 hits in only 30 innings for the Giants as he didn’t miss many bats in his first big league action last year. Look for him to start the year in AAA.

30-year old lefty Horacio Ramirez is a real long shot to help the Giants as a starter in 2010. He pitched in 19 games (1 start) for the Royals last year in which he was 0-2 with a 5.96 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP. Ramirez used to be a effective starting pitcher early on in his career but it seems as if the magic is gone.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ROTATION IN 2010: A-

The Giants have returned 22-year old righty starting pitcher Steve Johnson to the Orioles. He was a Rule 3 Draft Pick over the winter by the Giants but there was no room to carry him all year on the pitching staff. The Giants have their eyes on making the playoffs in 2010 so returning him to the Orioles was smart despite the fact that the Giants lost $25,000 bucks on the deal.