San Francisco Giants 2018 Season Preview
By David Hill
San Francisco Giants additions and subtractions
Key additions: Evan Longoria, Andrew McCutchen, Austin Jackson
Newcomer to watch: Andrew McCutchen. Last year, the Giants had 13 players make at least one appearance in left. Ten of those players made their first appearance in the Giants first 60 games. To say the position was a revolving door would not do it justice.
Although McCutchen is slated to move to right, his presence should make a difference. Hunter Pence will move to left, providing more stability in the outfield. In addition to the stability that McCutchen provides, he appeared to rediscover his batting stroke last year as well. Last year, he produced a solid .279/.363/.486 batting line, hitting 28 homers and stealing 11 bases. He may not have returned to his All Star level, but that performance was a dramatic improvement over 2016.
McCutchen also has millions of reasons to perform well this year. A free agent after 2018, he could put himself back into the conversation as one of the top players available. If he can rediscover that All Star form, he could cash in during free agency. And, naturally, the Giants would benefit from getting that production in their lineup.
Biggest losses: Matt Moore, Denard Span
Biggest loss: Denard Span. Losing Span may not seem vital to the Giants chances in 2018, but he may be a bigger loss than expected.
A solid defensive center fielder, Span held a key place atop the Giants lineup. With his ability to make contact and all around game, he has been an underrated player throughout most of his career. That continued last year, as Span quietly produced a decent .272/.329/.427 batting line, hitting 12 homers and 31 doubles while stealing 12 bases.
In his stead, Austin Jackson is expected to be the San Francisco Giants Opening Day center fielder. Jackson has been a fourth outfielder for the past two seasons, with a combined 82 games in center in that time. Although he is younger than Span, he has not played nearly as much. If Jackson cannot stay in the lineup consistently, Giants fans may long for Span in the outfield.