Lowell Cohn: Giants smart to plan for aging players

The San Francisco Giants are one interesting team. So often Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans make the right moves - not always, but often. They are making the right moves with Angel Pagan and Matt Cain.

At one time - a very good time - Pagan and Cain were central to the Giants. Pagan, the leadoff-hitting center fielder. Cain, the big horse of a starting pitcher, a potential No. 1 starter with a mondo contract.

How much more central could two guys get?

“Central” is a key word here - as in the center. Think of Pagan and Cain in a photo. A few years ago, both were in the center of the frame, or whatever the correct word is. And the Giants needed them to be in the center. Pagan literally was in center field. Now, he is in left field. He’s moving over, moving out of center field, and Denard Span is replacing him.

Pagan is a good player, a unique leadoff man because he has some power and likes to bat in tense moments. He never was an A-plus center fielder. No Willie Mays or Duke Snider - I miss you, Duke. But Pagan’s routes to fly balls are eccentric, sometimes brutal. He makes up for route deficiency by being a good athlete and a fast runner.

But he gets hurt too much and he’s lost his home-run power and the Giants can’t depend on him to play often and well. And he’s 34. None of this is his fault. Just the inevitable devolution of ballplayers, the inevitable deterioration. So the Giants moved Pagan to left field and, if he can’t contribute, they can move him out the left margin of the photo and he can disappear to nothingness.

No problem there. Gregor Blanco can play left field and center field. He’s a better outfielder than Pagan, always has been. And he’s a good hitter, actually is improving. Batted .291 last season. Can bat leadoff or later in the batting order. He is the outfield solution waiting to happen if Pagan loses the ability to happen.

Sad for Pagan. Good planning by the Giants.

That brings us to Cain. He was supposed to be a mainstay of Giants starting pitching. It would be Madison Bumgarner and Cain - think Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. A legendary combo like that.

Bumgarner sure is legendary. Cain not so much. Not even close. In the past two seasons, he won four games. The Giants pay him a fortune for each victory - but it’s not your money or mine. No complaint here about Cain’s dough. Just pointing out he hasn’t been a good investment. Not his fault, but true.

Think of him in the center of things. The center of the infield on the pitcher’s mound. The center and the force and the initiator of the action as he aims the ball toward home plate. The center of the photo.

Well, if Pagan is in danger of exiting stage left - field left? - Cain is in danger of dropping out the bottom. Think of the big guy hurtling through a trapdoor. According to my reckoning, he is competing to be the Giants’ fifth and last starting pitcher. That is Ryan Vogelsong territory, not that there was anything wrong with brave, good-guy Vogelsong. Right now, you can see the trapdoor opening for Cain.

The fifth starter is often a marginal guy, usually someone who doesn’t win a lot, but gives the team innings - not necessarily good innings. Quantity over quality. And if he flops, there’s always someone at Triple-A, some youngster who’s about ready for the big leagues, and the team gives the youngster the fifth spot because even a beginner is better than the old, weary, damaged, unreliable fifth starter.

Not saying Cain is that weary fifth starter, but he’s flirting with it. As far as I know, he may not be ready for his first start of the regular season. He had a cyst removed from his throwing arm and then the stitches had to come out and he’s behind schedule. There always seems to be something with him.

Just the other day, Bruce Bochy told reporters Chris Heston gradually will increase his pitch count so he can be the fifth starter by the end of camp, if it comes to that.

“We’ve got to cover ourselves and have somebody ready,” he said.

Bochy meant he needs Heston ready if Cain is not ready. Heston is supposed to be a relief pitcher. Not so fast. Already there are doubts about Cain. Already he’s hovering over the trapdoor. Staring at the darkness below.

None of this is to put down the Giants. Please understand that. These developments could be grim for Cain and Pagan, but they show the Giants have planned for a Paganless and Cainless future. Planned the way elite executives must plan. Planned the way a World Series contender must plan.

The Giants are a living organism. Every team is a living organism, although I could point to at least one professional sports team around here - not necessarily a baseball team - that seems mummified. Sabean and Evans are keeping their organism alive and young. They’re trying to give it new life.

And I say they’ll succeed.

For more on the world of sports in general and the Bay Area in particular, visit cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn.pressdemocrat.com.