Assuming

[sharksrog]

Assuming the Giants sign reliever Brandon Lyon -- or even if they don't -- wouldn't you think the Giants are looking pretty good for the next few seasons?

Their only real weakness entering this season seems to be left field, and with the great defense that should be played at the position in 2013, even that should be far from a total loss.

As Randy has pointed out, if left field or some other position turns out to be a distinct weakness, Brian Sabean has shown a proclivity for making shrewd mid-season deals.

I still believe the key to the 2013 season is how well Tim Lincecum bounces back. Brandon Belt, Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence seem likely to fortify the middle of the order and beyond.

Even with the horrible season from Lincecum in 2012, the Giants had one of the top rotations in the league. Their bullpen was even better.

They have the league's best catcher and what appears to be a clearly above-average infield. Only first base and shortstop would be considered to be below-average, and both Brandons showed clear signs of improvement last season.

The Giants look to be at least average in center and right fields, and while they don't have the preferred power in left field, they do have two guys who are very good fielders, get on base, and have excellent speed.

As the Giants showed in 2011, it's tough to repeat. No matter how good a team is, with three series to win, it's hard to say that ANY team is likely to repeat. But I like the Giants' chances of making the postseason -- and as we saw two out of the past three seasons, almost anything can happen from that point on.

[rxmeister]

I agree with both of the comments. The Giants are set to contend for the next few seasons, and I got it straight from the horses mouth on whether the Giants will continue to do what they have to do to win every season. At that event last week, Larry Baer was asked about the Dodgers and their free spending ways, and he replied, "don't worry, because the Giants team that starts the season won't necessarily be the Giants team that ends the season." He said they'll do what they have to with regards to expanding payroll if they think they have to to make the postseason. This organization is committed to winning every year.

[sharksrog]

Ego could help the Giants in the near future. No doubt the owners are getting used to the acclaim of winning and will be open to spending whatever it takes, within reason.

The Giants have actually increased their payroll less in percentage terms this winter than they did after winning in 2010. There is no reason they won't have mid-season money to make at least one key acquisition if needed. Only if they truly fall apart, can I see them balking at mid-season spending. And falling apart just doesn't seem likely. Even with the injury to Buster Posey in 2011, the Giants were in it until late.

What concerns me more about the Dodgers than their sudden willingness to spend is that they are revamping their scouting deparment, especially regarding international players. They realize the way to build continuity without going totally crazy with spending is to build from within (much as the Giants have done, and the Nationals, and Tampa Bay, etc.).

It doesn't appear the Dodgers got as much bang for their initial spending buck under the new ownership as they might have. They put a lot of eggs in last year's basket, and then the basket developed a hole.

Adrian Gonzalez had a poor (for him, and especially considering moving from a pitchers' park to a hitters' park for the majority of the season) year in 2012, but he's a fine player. The other players the Dodgers acquired have been inconsistent.

If the Dodgers get good seasons from most of their players, those players' ceilings are high enough to make them tough customers to contend with. But it is unlikely that all their cylinders will click. And if the Dodgers do beat out the Giants, that doesn't San Francisco can't win a wild card bid.

The Giants were just rated by Clubhouse Confidential as the #3 organization in baseball. Yeah, part of that is perhaps overly influenced by their having won two World Championships in the past three seasons.

But the point is, the Giants are pretty good now. Most of their top talent is young and contract-controllable. The only true talent they are in any danger of losing is Tim Lincecum, and last season Tim wasn't a top talent. As Mark pointed out, if the Giants lose Linecum and Barry Zito at the end of this season, the will save over $30 million in salary, giving them a nice war chest to replace what is right now the bottom two-fifths of their rotation.

As fans, we can never get totally comfortable. There are enough variables in a season that a range of 10 wins or so almost goes without saying. But the odds of the Giants' winning 90 games or more -- and subsequently being a true contender -- are pretty darn good, aren't they? Even in their disappointing 2011 season, they won 86 games. They have averaged precisely 90 wins over the past four seasons, never varying more than four wins from that average.