Giants pick starting center fielder

GLENDALE, Arizona - The Giants began spring training with an open competition for all three starting outfield spots.

With 10 days left in camp, Steven Duggar has officially won one of those position battles.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Monday he expects Duggar to start in center field on March 28 when the Giants open the season in San Diego.

Duggar suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last August and entered the spring needing to prove he was completely healthy to earn a roster spot. With two hits in three at-bats Monday, Duggar is now hitting .344 in Cactus League play and will continue to see more playing time.

“He’s gone back-to-back, he feels good, that’s three out of four (games) I think and we’ll ramp it up even more here after the day off,” Bochy said.

The Giants, who had their one off-day of spring on Tuesday, have not named starters at either corner outfield position, but non-roster invitee Gerardo Parra appears in line to start the season in right field while Mac Williamson appears poised to play in left. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has indicated the Giants will continue exploring ways to add outfield help, yet a move to acquire an everyday starter seems increasingly unlikely at this point in the spring.

As Duggar locked up a starting job, several other Giants competing for spots impressed Bochy and the coaching staff with their efforts Monday.

Right-hander Tyler Beede earned a start and allowed two runs in two innings of work. Beede threw 42 pitches and tossed 18 more in the bullpen so he could continue stretching out like a starting pitcher.

Beede has been discussed as a possible long relief option, but will begin the season in the Triple-A Sacramento rotation after showing off improved command of a 97-mile per hour fastball and a sharp curveball this spring. Beede was optioned to minor league camp Tuesday.

“This is the best I’ve thrown the ball,” Beede said. “So it’s really just a matter of continuing to build on what I’m doing right now and improve still. To stay consistent and to be someone they can potentially rely on throughout the season.”

Zaidi indicated Beede was one of the pleasant surprises in camp earlier this spring, a point Beede takes pride in after struggling throughout the 2018 season.

“I’m happy that I’ve impressed some people, especially Farhan because he’s new here,” Beede said. “I’m sure he’s read some things from last year and wanted to see some improvement, so I’m happy.”

Beede would likely be in the mix for a spot in the Giants’ bullpen if not for the surplus of arms vying for roles this spring. San Francisco has no fewer than 10 relievers in camp deserving of opening-day roster spots, which will force Zaidi and others to make a number of tough calls.

Rule 5 draft choice Travis Bergen and former Nationals right-hander Trevor Gott both pitched in Monday’s 5-2 win over the White Sox and continued their respective campaigns for jobs. Neither Bergen nor Gott has allowed an earned run all spring and because neither can be optioned to the minor leagues, the Giants have a compelling case to reward the duo with roster spots.

“We have two to three spots open and you can look at the numbers and see, we’ve got seven or eight really good candidates,” Bochy said. “There’s going to be some really difficult calls here at the end.”

Veterans Will Smith, Tony Watson, Sam Dyson and Mark Melancon entered the spring with job security in the bullpen, but Melancon’s struggles - coupled with the success of other candidates - could give the Giants reservations about keeping Melancon on the opening-day roster.

The Giants signed Melancon to a four-year, $62 million deal after the 2016 season and he’s still owed $28 million over the next two years, making it difficult for the franchise to consider moving on from one of the highest-paid relievers in major league history.

With the emergence of Bergen and Gott, plus the depth provided by other right-handers like Reyes Moronta and non-roster invitee Nick Vincent, the Giants have a number of challenging roster decisions to confront in the coming days.