Spring Training Update: What's On Second?

This will be the first spring training since 2012 in which Joe Panik is not the presumptive starting second baseman.  Mauricio Dubon appeared to stake a claim to the role in a late season audition with many fans falling in love with him in the process.  The first signs of that not being the plan came early in the Hot Stove League season when we heard rumblings of Dubon learning to play CF because....well....because he played a few innings there in an Arizona Fall league a few years ago.  Apparently FZ was serious about it, though and we've seen some tweets from Dubon himself embracing the role.  So, where does that leave 2B for the Giants in 2020?  Glad you asked, because there are more options than you can shake a stick at!

Donovan Solano:  Solano is coming off possibly he best season of his career and is on the 40 man roster with a guaranteed contract which avoided arbitration.  It's not a big contract so he's probably financially expendable, but he could make a case that the job should be his to lose, at least if Dubon is moving on to other things.

Yolmer Sanchez:  FZ signed this defensive wizard late in the Hot Stove season to a minor league contract.  He's a deserving gold glove 2B, but has been extremely weak at the plate for the past two seasons playing home games in a much more hitter-friendly park than Oracle.  Still, Sanchez reportedly turned down guaranteed money from other organizations because the Giants offered him a chance to compete for a starting 2B job.  FZ did say he was looking for a lefthanded infield bat and Sanchez is a switch-hitter, so there's that....if you consider him "a bat."

Wilmer Flores:  Flores has, by far, the most consistent track record of all the candidates here, and is the only one with a multi-year contract.  That would seem to give him the inside track at 2B since that is the only starting IF position that appears to be open.  On the other hand, Flores has played all 4 infield positions approximately equally throughout his career and we all know how much FZ loves guys in multi-position roles(see Mauricio Dubon above).

Kean Wong:  Kean Wong was signed early in the Hot Stove season and is on the 40 man roster.  At this point, it seems like The Churn has made him an afterthought.  He does bat left-handed, though.

Abiatal Avelino:  Avelino is still on the 40 man roster and also give positional versatility. Specifically, he is probably the best defensive shortstop not named Brandon in camp.

In addition to the above 40-man roster players(except Yolmer Sanchez), Cristhian Adames and Drew Robinson are two non-roster invitees with experience at 2B.  It's just that they are buried so far down the depth chart it seems far-fetched to think either has a ghost of a chance of breaking camp with the team, let alone start at 2B.

Breaking It Down:  It appears the Giants see Mauricio Dubon as more of an OF now than 2B/IF, although he will likely see time at multiple positions if he makes the team at all(not a lock, IMO.  He does have an option).  I think the Giants see Wilmer Flores as a super-sub for all 4 IF positions, definitely at 1B against LHP's.  I think they see something in Sanchez' offense they think they can fix and hope he will win the starting 2B position, although he could start the season in Sacramento to work on whatever the development guys see that needs fixing.  Donovan Solano is strictly depth at this point in case of injury or Sanchez not showing enough in spring games.