Relief staff is final piece of Giants' roster puzzle

April 1st, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants' 25-man Opening Day roster was finalized after Saturday's 6-3 Bay Bridge Series finale victory over the A's.
The last decision to determine the composition of manager Bruce Bochy's squad that will open the 2017 season at Arizona revolved around the bullpen, where becomes the lone left-handed reliever.
Here, following up on the two previous attempts to predict the group of Giants that will break camp, is a look at the players who will comprise the 25-man active roster.
Catcher:, Nick Hundley
Changes from previous roster predictions: None
Comment: The Giants probably didn't expect Tim Federowicz (.323 entering Saturday) to hit as well as he did. Other teams needing a Major League backup catcher should consider him. "I wish I had a spot for him," Bochy said.
Infield: First baseman , second baseman Joe Panik, shortstop , third baseman .
Changes: None
Outfield:, , , Chris Marrero, .
Changes: Marrero for (hamstring).
Comment: Marrero started hitting on the first day of Spring Training and hasn't stopped. He also has succeeded in challenging situations -- challenging by exhibition-game standards, that is. It's fair to say that defense isn't Marrero's strength. That makes Hernandez doubly essential, since he'll likely replace Marrero for defensive purposes late in ballgames.

Utility:,
Changes: Hill for .
Comment: Hill's considerable experience gave him an edge over Tomlinson.
Starting pitchers:, , Matt Moore, Jeff Samardzija,
Changes: From Cain to Blach to Cain
Comment: Based strictly on Spring Training performance, Blach (4.22 ERA) outperformed Cain (7.82 ERA). But Bochy saw enough encouraging signs from the right-hander to assign him the role.
Relief pitchers: Blach, , , , , , .
Changes: Ramirez for Josh Osich or .
Comment: Osich endured inconsistency for much of the spring, while Okert yielded one run in 10 2/3 innings spanning 11 appearances. But the Giants opted to keep right-hander Ramirez instead, leaving Blach as the lone southpaw in the bullpen.