Opening Day Carousel - San Francisco Giants Leftfield

 Opening Day is a wonderful time of year. Barring any issues from Spring Training, it's the best chance for a team to put their best foot forward for their lineup before things like "scheduled off days" or general wear and tear make Managers shake things up from time to time. Teams will be able to debut a new acquisition or rookie at a position or remind fans of the superstar they have holding down their spot. It stands to reason that there will be some year to year turnover at a position when a team has to move on from a long standing superstar, but when the yearly change approaches almost 20 years of a new face every season, it becomes quite noticeable, such as it became when the Giants had to replace Barry Bonds.

2007 was the final season of the...notable career of one Barry Bonds. He didn't retire, but the Giants opted to let him become a free agent.

While the Giants weren't interested in an aging Bonds in the field, they didn't exactly have a backup at the ready. 2008 gave us Roberts in the final season of his journeyman career.

Lewis was on the team back when Bonds was patrolling the field, but it wasn't until 2009 that he was giving the shot on Opening Day.

Lewis would be traded in Spring Training before camp broke for 2010, so everybody's 2nd favorite utility option, Mark DeRosa, got the call. Injury derailed his season, and when he returned in 2011, it was as a bench option.

Burrell ended up as the regular guy in Leftfield in 2010 and he continued that status into 2011. Still only counts as one Opening Day start. He retired after the season.

I get it when you have trouble replacing someone like Bonds. He held down his position for over a decade. But just 5 years later we have a guy who doesn't even field the position starting there on Opening Day. Huff lost a battle to be the starting 1st Baseman in Spring Training, but that just meant he was available to plug in the open outfield slot. He only played 5 games all year in left. As seen before with a few of the names above him, he retired after the season.

Torres was a bench option for the Giants from 2009-2011. He was sent to Queens in 2012, but the Giants signed him back for 2013 as a platoon option. It was just a 1 year deal, however.

Morse was another 1 year contract signing. Injury kept him from being a more regular contributor, and he was playing elsewhere next year.

This is becoming a trend within a trend. Aoki was the latest 1 year contract signing who would deal with injury problems during the season and head elsewhere in the offseason.

In 2016 the Giants tried something new. Angel Pagan was their regular Centerfielder since 2012, but to make room for Denard Span, they moved Angel over to left. It was also the final yaer of his contract and he did not return.

Parker had spent a few seasons bouncing up and down from the minors, but 2017 saw him make the Opening Day roster and getting the start. Injuries became a problem for him and the team would release him the following spring.

Pence had been the regular Rightfielder for the Giants, but as his career was winding down, he found himself in left for Opening Day 2018. He'd sign on elsewhere in 2019, but he'd return in 2020 to retire a Giant.

Connor Joe had gone from team to team as a minor leaguer until he finally broke through with the Giants in 2019. He went 1-15 before the Giants DFA'd him. 

Dickerson was traded for in 2019, and was the guy to start in left for the 2020 "Opening Day" after the prolonged Coronavirus delay to the season. He was on the team in 2021, but the Giants chose someone else to start that Opening Day.

Slater was that choice for 2021. As his card shows, he was used all over the outfield, not just in left.

To the dismay of Dodger fans, Joc Pederson signed with the Giants in 2022 and put forth an all star season. He'd return the next year, but not as the Opening Day leftfielder.

Sabol had an interesting tale for 2023. He was in the Pirates system, but the Reds took him in the Rule 5 draft. 30 minutes after drafting him, Cincinnati traded him to the Giants. Because of the rules of the Rule 5 draft, the Giants couldn't just stash him in AAA and he spent the 2023 season in with the Giants, even getting the nod for Opening Day. He split time between Catcher and Leftfield. Safe from the Rule 5 draft rules, Sabol was back to being a minor leaguer in 2024 while getting limited time in the majors.

Conforto was more often in Rightfield in 2023, but for 2024 he was the guy in left.

Ramos began 2024 in the minors but still put together an all star season when he was called up. In 2025 he broke camp with the squad and was the guy in left on Opening Day. The Giants finally seemed to have something for Leftfield as he finally broke the streak in 2026 starting in left for the 2nd straight season.