Five questions the Giants need to answer during spring training

Who will win the fifth starter spot?

It seems likely as of right now that Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Kevin Gausman, and Drew Smyly will occupy the first four spots in the starting rotation. Smyly might have a more tenuous grip on his spot, but it would make sense for the Giants to have at least one lefty on the staff.

The rotation will likely be in flux for most of the year, so it may not matter a whole lot who wins the fifth rotation spot out of spring training, but for the first few weeks of the season it will matter.

There are a ton of candidates for this final spot, but I think the favorites as of right now are Tyler Beede, Tyson Ross, and Trevor Cahill. Logan Webb will probably start the season in Triple-A, even if he has a solid spring, as a way to limit his innings. And others like Dereck Rodriguez and Shaun Anderson will probably start the season in Triple-A or in the bullpen.

Beede is the favorite because he showed promise last season and the Giants want to see if he can be a part of the rotation going forward. But the competition is still very wide open. If one of the veterans shows he still have something left in the tank this spring, he could start the season in the No. 5 starter role.