Bumgarner had the flu, but Giants bats look healthy

The San Francisco Giants enter the 2016 season with expectations at an all-time high. Spending huge money on starting pitching in the off-season left Madison Bumgarner as the lowest paid starter in the rotation. However, there is no question who is the ace of the Giants staff heading into 2016.

Bumgarner started his third straight opening day today in Milwaukee, but didn't look himself. He was pitching with the flu, and his day began my walking Chris Carter with the bases loaded and giving up home runs to Scooter Gennett and Jonathan Villar. It was only the second time in Bumgarner's career he has walked a batter with the bases loaded. It was also only the third time in his career a left handed batter homered off of him when Gennett went deep.

Despite Bumgarner's struggles with his health and his command early on, he struck out the side in the fifth against the heart of the Brewers order. The Giants bats, on the other hand, weren't struggling at all. Denard Span, Brandon Belt, Matt Duffy and Angel Pagan felt right at home at their new spots in the lineup and the runs piled up early on as the Giants scored seven runs in the first five innings.

Duffy, who spent much of his rookie year in the third spot in the order, batted sixth today. His drop in the lineup was to provide some balance with both Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford left handed and Buster Posey and Hunter Pence both right handed. His first at bat provided instant dividends as he came to the plate with two on and drove in the first two runs of the season for the Giants. His third at bat added two more runs with a home run to left.

Pagan, who was batting ninth, walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single from new leadoff hitter Span. It was another move by the Giants that created instant results, as the Giants moved Bumgarner to the 8th spot in the order to allow for their two lead off hitters to bat 9th and 1st.

Span's biggest moment came later as he hit a three run home run to give him five RBI's for the game. Joe Panik and Posey followed it up with home runs of their own. When all was said and done, the Giants scored 12 runs. The staff made all the headlines this off-season, with the additions of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. When you include former Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy and the return of Matt Cain from an unhealthy 2015, you have the makings of an impressive staff.

If today's Giants game is any indication, the lineup will be making even more headlines this season than the rotation.

Players accept changes because of Bruce Bochy

Angel Pagan came into camp with a lot of questions, mostly from the media. San Francisco Giants beat writers wanted to know if he was healthy, first and foremost. They wanted to know how he felt about the Giants signing Denard Span. Span was essentially signed to replace him in center field and the leadoff spot in the lineup. And they also wanted to know if he was going to accept the move to left field and down the batting order.

Pagan said all the right things to reporters today, saying "I don't have any hard feelings. I want them to know I'm on board." Pagan did admit "every player has pride, but you have to sit there and understand that at some point you have to make a move." He even went so far as to suggest he could bat behind the game's best hitting pitcher every fifth day.

Angel Pagan here and healthy and ready to go said he would hit anywhere in lineup even 9th to give SFG two lead off hitters when Bum pitches

— marty lurie (@baseballmarty) February 23, 2016

Pagan didn't have any questions coming into camp because his questions had already been answered by Bruce Bochy and the Giants front office. Some fans have wanted the Giants to make a change in center field for a long time.

Pagan has struggled to stay healthy ever since he signed a new contract with the Giants after the 2012 season. And yet Bochy kept giving him chances to prove he was healthy and prove he could perform at the level they expected of their centerfielder. As Pagan's production declined at the plate and in the field, the writing may have been on the wall for a change, but Bochy was going to give Pagan every chance he could to prove doubters wrong. Some may look at Bochy as being foolish for this, but this is why Bochy has had so much success.

All 25 guys in a Bruce Bochy clubhouse know where they stand and what their role is and what the team's expectations are. Giving his veteran players more chances than fans may want could be one of the reasons they have missed the playoffs in three of the last six seasons. But it is also the reason they have won the World Series in three of the last six seasons. Bochy has proven this format works and is the best way to get the best out of the 25 guys he's been given. Whether he has the right 25 guys is an argument for another article, but there is no question this is how the Giants have won championships.

In 2010, Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria were big money players at the end of their careers. There was talk of them not making the post-season roster at all. However, Bochy saw a need for both, and Renteria proved him right with a World Series MVP. One player who didn't make the roster,
however, was Barry Zito, the team's highest paid player. Bochy chose to go with 20 year old Madison Bumgarner over Zito. However, Zito understood the move and handled it professionally. Zito knew he wasn't one of the team's top four pitchers heading into October, and also knew he had been given every chance that season to earn that job. That set the stage for every tough decision the team would have.

In 2012, Zito and Ryan Vogelsong had earned their spots in the rotation, but that meant Tim Lincecum, the team's two time Cy Young award winner, would be coming out of the bullpen. Like Zito, Lincecum handled it professionally and was incredible during the post-season in middle relief. So were Zito and Vogelsong, who shined in the National League Championship series and World Series. Zito, having been demoted two years earlier, not only knew he deserved the starts he got in 2012, but he knew he had the full support of Bochy and the front office.

There are many more examples of Bochy letting his player's play on the field determine their status, and not the opinions of anyone. All professional athletes want from their front office and their manager is to be told where they stand and given a chance. Bochy tells players what their role is, what the expectations for them are, and then backs it up by giving them a chance to prove it on the field.

Pagan comes into the 2016 season knowing he has been given many chances to regain his job in centerfield and atop the batting order. He knows the team signed Span because he didn't meet expectations. He also is being given an opportunity to win the left field job because he can still be a part of this year's team. And as we've seen many times before, we should get the best version of Pagan going forward as he tries to live up to his manager's new expectations for him.