Race for the infield

Even though there are still a couple weeks left of Spring Training, you can be that Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean have already started to think about who they will bring with them to San Francisco as a member of the 25-man roster.

So far the biggest area of competition is the infield, and it just continues to heat up as March continues on.

The Giants currently have nine infielders listed on their active roster, and that will dwindle down to either six or seven (depending on whether or not the Giants take 11 or 12 pitchers to Opening Day). We know five of the players that'll be on the 25-man roster:
1. Brandon Belt
2. Marco Scutaro
3. Brandon Crawford
4. Pablo Sandoval
5. Joaquin Arias

The big question is: who would get that final spot? (or possibly the final two spots)

The four remaining guys on the current roster are Ehire Adrianza, Brett Pill, Tony Abreu, and Nick Noonan. Let's break each one down with the odds of them starting the season in the big leagues, shall we?

1. Ehire Adrianza. He's played in just six games this spring, had only eight at-bats, and, oh yeah, no hits so far. He also doesn't have any walks. On the bright side, he only has one strikeout....ok, yes, I'm reaching. Just trying to give the guy a break. He's listed as a shortstop and has played only SS this spring, not showing much range. But he is error-free in five chances, so that's something. All in all, I'd say the odds of him making the Opening Day roster are....well, you know, slim (don't make me say an exact number).

2. Brett Pill. Pill is no stranger to the 25-man roster, as he began the 2012 season there. In 105 at-bats, he hit .210 with two homeruns and 11 RBIs. His OBP was a mere .265. He played most of his games at 1B, but started a few games in the outfield and played once at 3B, so he brings a bit of flexibilty to the bench. So far this spring, though, he's only played 1B and has been designated hitter. Offensively, he's batting .273 with two homeruns and seven RBIs. He hasn't made any errors in 35 chances, so he'd be a solid back-up for Brandon Belt. I'd say he's got a 65-70% chance of making the Opening Day roster. The Giants don't really have anyone to back up Belt (besides Posey) so they'd most likely take a back-up infielder who could play at 1B.

3. Tony Abreu. Unlike Pill and Adrianza, Abreu didn't come up through the Giants farm system. The Giants picked him up off of waivers from the Kansas City Royals in early February. The issue with Abreu is that he's only played in one game so far this spring due to a strained quad. He finally made his spring training debut with the Giants yesterday against the Texas Rangers. He went 1-2 and committed no errors playing at 2B. Last season in 105 games for the Royals AAA team, he hit .322 with nine HRs, 36 doubles, and 73 RBIs. During 22 games in the majors in 2012, he hit .257 with one HR and 15 RBIs. Only time will tell what Abreu's fate will be on April 1st. If he can prove that his injury is behind him, even if his batting average is mediocre, I believe he'll make the 25-man roster. Just the fact that he was claimed off of waivers gives him a leg up over the minor leaguers. If he's healthy, I'd say he's got a 100% chance (yes, that bold) to make the 25-man roster.

4. Nick Noonan. Yes, maybe I saved my favorite for last. Like I've said before (and I'm sure you're sick of hearing), I was most impressed by Noonan this past weekend. The shortstop looked pretty fantastic playing a mean third base, showing that he just might be a solid utility infielder. Offensively, however, he is struggling this preseason. He's batting just .138, after going 0-1 tonight with a rather unattractive at-bat. He did come in to relieve Crawford at short, showing that he can play a flawless defensive shortstop (you know, in at least one game). He's also shown some speed that the others on this list haven't shown, hustling out a couple triples this past weekend. He's starting to look comfortable at the plate (and he's already looking comfy in the field). I'd say that, if Abreu is injured, his odds of making the Opening Day squad is 90%. If Abreu is healthy, I'd put Noonan at a 70%. I think his potential is that apparent (and by me saying this, his actual probability probably just dropped to 6.7%. However, I'm sticking with it).

A couple guys are playing this spring as non-roster invitees and are looking to make a case for themselves. Brock Bond and Kensuke Tanaka are unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but look for them to make an apperance during the regular season.

More on them later.