Which current Giants will be part of the next contender?

Giants infielder Mauricio Dubon

Mauricio Dubon made his debut at the end of 2019, showing the requisite range and athleticism to handle both second base and shortstop.

However, the Giants also want to see what he can do in the outfield, and he has already spent time in center field this spring.

In the batter’s box, Dubon produced a .274/.306/.434 line with four home runs across 111 plate appearances last season.

The goal is to make Dubon a super-utility player in the same mold as Chris Taylor or Enrique Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Taylor and Hernandez give Dodgers manager Dave Roberts a variety of options with their versatility, and both players will often play more than one position in the same game.

The Giants hope to carve out that type of role for Dubon. Whether it works remains to be seen, but it is easy to envision Dubon on the Giants next playoff team.

At 25, Dubon’s age matches where the Giants are at in the competitive cycle in that he has an opportunity to continue developing over the next couple of years while the team bolsters the roster around him.

If there is a comparable player from the 2010 Giants team that went on to win the World Series, it would be Juan Uribe. He spent significant time at third base, second base, and shortstop while blasting 24 home runs. He was the Swiss Army knife and played an important role down the stretch.

Dubon does not have as much power as Uribe, but he can be similarly important on a competitive roster. The 2020 season will be an interesting test, especially on defense, for the type of role he will ultimately play.