San Francisco Giants

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2002 Finish: 95-66, 2nd, NL West, 2½ GB (won Wild Card)	2002 Payroll: $82,556,895 (9th)

Projected Lineup CF Ray Durham RF Jose Cruz Jr. SS Rich Aurilia LF Barry Bonds 2B Edgardo Alfonzo C Benito Santiago 1B J.T. Snow 3B Pedro Feliz Projected Rotation RHP Jason Schmidt LHP Kirk Rueter RHP Livan Hernandez LHP Damian Moss RHP Kurt Ainsworth CL Robb Nen

By Matt Morrison, SI.com

With so many questions, there is no question: the Giants are one of the most intriguing teams entering the 2003 season.

Starting at the top, consider the last time a club unloaded its manager after a pennant-winning season -- 1973. Dick Williams bailed on the A's, allowing Alvin Dark to lead Oakland to another World Series win the following season. The Giants hope Felipe Alou will follow a similar path to glory.

The 69-year old Alou brings at least as much respect as he does age to the team he once played for. His decade as manager in Montreal was marked with overachievement by teams perceived to be lacking in talent. With this group of Giants, Alou will have plenty of talent to work with. Although GM Brian Sabean swapped out 11 regulars, the heart of the club remains and the additions could be a significant upgrade.

That is, if someone can settle in behind Barry Bonds in the batting order. If Alou can get four new regulars to fit in. If all can co-exist with Bonds in the locker room and in the dugout. That problem with Jeff Kent is gone to Houston, along with his annual 100-plus RBI output. Steady third baseman David Bell is departed, too.

Free agents Ray Durham and Edgardo Alfonzo step in and look like strong replacement parts around Rich Aurilia at short. Together, Alfonzo and Durham can combine for some punch and upgrade the infield speed. J.T. Snow remains solid -- at least with the glove -- at first base, and Benito Santiago continues his renaissance behind the plate.

In the outfield, veteran Marquis Grissom was brought in to stabilize center field and Jose Cruz, Jr. to play right. If each can regain some of their earlier form, they should complement Bonds better than the committee headed by Reggie Sanders and Kenny Lofton. They're gone, but so is ace Russ Ortiz. Can Jason Schmidt be the No. 1 arm? Can Livan Hernandez pull out of his career tailspin? Is Kirk Rueter the answer to anything? Can Robb Nen stay healthy? All combine to make the pitching staff the biggest question in San Francisco since the lawsuit over Bonds' 73rd home run ball.

Alou's biggest challenge will be cobbling together a rotation from Schmidt, Rueter and everyone else. Hernandez is coming off two straight down years, and his 16 losses last year led the majors. Ortiz was traded to Atlanta because of his price tag, but the Giants gained promising left hander Damian Moss in the deal. Ryan Jensen and Kurt Ainsworth will compete for the fifth starter job.

The offensive key this spring is finding the right combination around Bonds in the batting order. With Durham and Grissom offering speed at the top, Aurilia figures to benefit by dropping to third in front of Bonds. Alfonzo will get first crack at the key spot behind Bonds. Santiago filled that role in the playoffs, and Snow is focusing on improving his power numbers.

After a down year in 2001, Alfonzo bounced back to hit .308 for the Mets last season. He'll need that kind of focus and better run production to compensate for the loss of Kent. He doesn't have Kent's power, but hitting behind Bonds can be a buffet. He's only 29, so there's every reason to believe that this .292 career hitter can still be the guy who hit 27 homers and knocked in 108 runs in 1999.

Right-hander Jesse Foppert is a long (6-foot-6), strong prospect, but he might be a year away. On an all-veteran team, the most intriguing young contributor figures to be Moss. He improved steadily in his first full season in Atlanta, finishing with 12 wins and a 3.42 ERA. He could make the deal for Russ Ortiz look like a San Francisco steal.

Arrivals: LHP 2B-OF Ray Durham (from Oakland as free agent), OF Marquis Grissom (from Los Angeles as free agent), INF Neifi Perez (from Kansas City off waivers), INF Edgardo Alfonzo (from Mets as free agent), LHP Damian Moss (from Atlanta in trade for RHP Russ Ortiz), OF Jose Cruz Jr. (from Toronto as free agent), 1B Andres Galarraga (from Montreal as free agent).

Departures: 3B David Bell (to Philadelphia as free agent), OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo (to Mets as free agent), OF Reggie Sanders (free agent), OF Kenny Lofton (free agent), OF Tom Goodwin (to Cubs as free agent), OF Shawon Dunston (pondering retirement), 2B Jeff Kent (to Houston as free agent), RHP Russ Ortiz (to Atlanta in trade), INF Ramon Martinez (to Cubs as free agent), LHP Aaron Fultz (to Texas as free agent), RHP Jay Witasick (to San Diego as free agent), RHP Manny Aybar (to Arizona as free agent).

Sabean seems to have done an admirable job of retooling a team that lost lots of key pieces after its first World Series appearance in four decades. Why Baker had to go, we're not quite sure but Alou looks like he could be the right answer. Alfonzo, Durham, Grissom and Cruz seem like a good fit, too. Aurilia, Snow and Santiago are proven, and Bonds remains the best hitter in baseball. But the other half of the equation lacks balance. The Giants need step-up performances from almost every pitcher on staff to contend against the strong NL West, and that is lot to ask. It will be tough for this team to win the division, but a year ago, the wild card was San Francisco's ticket to the World Series.