Key Stats: For the first time since the 1998 season, Alex Rodriguez failed to reach 30 and 100 last season. He played in only 99 games last season, but if he did stay healthy for 150 games, he was on pace for something close to 24 home runs and 93 RBI. G

"He wasn't favoring anything or changing his delivery. He didn't feel any aches or pains." Matt Cain said his agent has been in talks with the Giants and that "we'd all like to have something resolved by the end of spring training. Position players

Here we are, just 48 hours from pitchers and catchers reporting to Scottsdale, and baseball fever is starting to spread throughout the Bay Area. As we began in Wednesday's post, we'll continue our player preview as we try and get through all of them befo

This never would have happened if baseball had a salary cap! With Gio Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw and Pablo Sandoval getting the steepest increases, the overall rise of salaries for players in arbitration slowed to its lowest level since 2007. The 142 play

New York Mets left-hander Johan Santana is ready for his first big test this spring. Clayton Kershaw and Pablo Sandoval getting the steepest increases, the overall rise of salaries for players in arbitration slowed to its lowest level since 2007. A few d

With Gio Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw and Pablo Sandoval getting the steepest increases, the overall rise of salaries for players in arbitration slowed to its lowest level since 2007. The 142 players who filed for arbitration last month averaged an 89 perce

NEW YORK (AP) — With Gio Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw and Pablo Sandoval getting the steepest increases, the overall rise of salaries for players in arbitration slowed to its lowest level since 2007. The 142 players who filed for arbitration last month aver

Defense is the most difficult element of the game to quantify and the easiest to overlook. Spectacular plays have a way of masking an otherwise average effort. Gold Gloves are given out largely on the basis of reputation, and, in some cases, on the might

NEW YORK (AP) -- With Gio Gonzalez, Clayton Kershaw and Pablo Sandoval getting the steepest increases, the overall rise of salaries for players in arbitration slowed to its lowest level since 2007. The 142 players who filed for arbitration last month ave

The Giants are hoping for a big year from Aubrey Huff Ezra Shaw/Getty Images The San Francisco Giants have five players who can play first base. Aubrey Huff was the 2011 starter and a hero from the 2010 World Series team. In addition to Huff, the Giants

I took a film class in college (ladies) where the professor told us that the most important shot in any movie is the first. That shot, he said, should tell us everything important about the protagonist’s conflict. This is the first shot of the Tigers/Gia

At the moment, the Giants’ farm system is in a bit of a lull. Most prospect analysts currently rank the system around the #25 mark, some worse, and some a little better. The system is in a downswing for a couple of reasons, maybe one of the biggest is th

Coach Jim Harbaugh cheers for his team at the end of the 49ers' playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints on January 14. Which is the most important Bay Area pro sports franchise? Which is second, and so on? In the interest of irresponsibility — sports

1. Posey must return with his rebuilt left ankle to play at the level he did when he ascended to the majors in 2010. If he could play 140 games and recreate his .862 OPS from his rookie season, he would generate about 55 extra-base hits, 20-something hom

Looking svelte, Timmy. (Eric Risberg - AP) Believe it or not, San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum claims he weighed close to 200 pounds in 2011. But after bulking up following the team’s 2010 World Series title run, ‘The Freak,’ showed up at the Giants

I’ll admit that I was a little bit sad to see Andres Torres go. Initially, I wasn’t a huge fan when he arrived in 2009, but Torres grew on me with his great work ethic and persistence. Gradually, he seemed to become more and more clutch, and he proved to

Angel Pagan prides himself as the Giants ' new leadoff hitter. The No. 1 man. Numero uno. So allow him to be the first to make a bold statement about the 2012 Giants in the National League West: "I'm very, very confident that this is the team to beat," P

Apparently destined to struggle with controlling his weight for the remainder of his Major League career, Sandoval still parlayed his considerable skill into a three-year, $17.15 million contract that he agreed to Jan. 17. Management's obvious alternativ

For a team that's supposed to have a gaping hole at third base, the Angels got pretty good production out of their third baseman last season. Alberto Callaspo led all qualifying third basemen in on-base percentage (.363), was second in batting average (.