Giants think they'll be in the hunt

Apparently the San Francisco Giants expect to be in the hunt in a very tough NL West division. The same division they finished 19 games behind in 2007.

Newcomer Aaron Rowand, "Nobody in here expects to be at the bottom of the barrel in the NL West. We expect to be in the hunt. That's the outlook we're going into the season with. That's why we're here working as hard as we are. It's going to take a group effort, a collective effort."

Veteran outfielder Dave Roberts, "If you look at the numbers, we were in virtually every game last year. If we get the pitching that we're capable of getting, we're going to be in every game like we were last year."

No offense to Dave Roberts and Aaron Rowand, but they fail to realize that there are 4 other teams that are much better than the Giants. The Giants had the starters to get it done, just ask Matt Cain, but their bullpen was awful and won't be much better this year.

The team might be more relaxed than years past, especially due to the fact that there's no Barry Bonds in the locker room for the media hords to surround.

"Obviously, nothing against Barry as a person or a player, but it's a lot more relaxed now," Roberts said. "I think that anyone with his status, in all walks of life, they command that kind of respect and people are more uneasy. I thought he was a great teammate and he's a very good friend of mine, but it seems like now people can be themselves more so."

The Giants still have one Barry that should concern them. That being left-hander Barry Zito. Zito has gone from being the ace of the staff, to probably a #3 at best behind Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Can he be effective for the Giants in 2008, more so than he was last season?

I wonder about Aaron Rowand myself. There's no question this guy outhustles anyone in the major leagues, noone works harder than Rowand, but will he really make that much of a difference for the Giants. His numbers were put up in a bandbox in Philadelphia, now he has to try and duplicate those efforts in some of the biggest pitcher's parks in baseball. I have a hard time believing that he can do that.

The Giants will be in the hunt alright....in 2010 maybe.