SF Giants
Resume:
Their long-ago eight straight winning seasons, including four post-season appearances, have been followed with four straight losing campaigns.

Going Well at the Major League Level:
Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are the best under-25 one-two rotation combo in the majors. Pablo Sandoval continued to hit at every level, and Fred Lewis has developed into a solid everyday outfielder.

Not Going Well at the Major League Level:
The offense is a dead zone. Bengie Molina’s 16 home runs were the most by any player on this team that plated only 640 runs on the season. Not only are they bad, but they’re generally old, and the only under-30 players with over 250 at-bats this year were John Bowker, Jose Castillo, and Eugenio Velez—none of whom were good. No starter other than Cain and Lincecum had a sub-5.00 ERA, and the Barry Zito deal has been nothing short of a disaster.

Going Well at the Minor League Level:
Some excellent drafts and a commitment to international signings have allowed the Giants to begin a turnaround of their once-poor minor league system. Madison Bumgarner is one of the top pitching prospects in the game, and one of several prospects on a Low-A Augusta squad that have impressed. The system lacks high-ceiling arms after Bumgarner, but is nonetheless deep in solid big-league types.

Not Going Well at the Minor League Level:
The upper levels are barren, so there is little immediate help on the way. Angel Villalona is one of their few real power prospects, and 2008 first-round pick Buster Posey instantly became the top prospect in the system.

Cashflow:
The Giants lopped nearly $15 million off of their payroll this year, but they still have plenty of franchise-busting long-term commitments—primarily almost $95 million for five more years of Zito, and $44 million for four more years of Aaron Rowand. It’s not an enviable position, and almost forces a commitment to youth.

Moving for Young Talent:
Zito is all but untradeable without picking up a huge chunk of the contract. Molina and outfielders Randy Winn and Dave Roberts are entering the final years of reasonable contracts, and should be worth something to someone at next year’s deadline.

Outlook:
The future of the Giants’ pitching staff looks top-notch, but it’s still a mystery where the runs are going to come from. They need to find and develop some bats, and they won’t be a threat until at least 2011.