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39 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP PLAYBALL HunterPence Theright-handedhitterbriefly held the title as baseball's Iron Ma n, holdi ng the long es t a ct ive games-played streak after appear - ing in all 162 contests in 2013-14. But a fractured forearm, then hams tring s urg er y an d a n o bli que injury kept the Giants' high-ener - gy right fielder out of action while appearing in just 158 games over the past two seasons combined. The Giants understand they won't win many games with power, but Pence's swing is the rare one that doesn't get cheated at AT&T Park. With as many as five left-handed hitters in Bruce Bochy's lineup, not to mention a Dodgers rotation packed with southpaws, it's going to be vital that Pence supply pow - er and run production. They can't heap it all on Buster Posey, whom Bochy wants to rest more after setting career highs in games and innings caught last season. JohnnyCueto The starting pitcher has a huge decision to make after this season: opt out of his contr ac t a nd become a free agent, or lock himself into the four years and $84 million remaining on the deal. It's not a total loss if Cueto were to opt out, since it means the Giants received a great return on their two-year investment. The doomsday scenar - io: Cueto gets hurt and the Giants have a lot of dead money on the books. An effective Cueto will be significant as the Giants try to knock the Dodgers out of the N.L. West roost; a healthy Cueto will be even more important for the franchise's financial flexibility in the near term. MarkMelancon The Giants' new closer will be paid $62 million to do one specific job, and while the Giants have gone a long time without shelling out big bucks for a closer, STOP THE WILD-NESS! Sure,MadisonBumgarnerhaspitcheda shutout in the N.L.Wild Card Game in two of the past three seasons, but the Giants would prefer to get to the playoffs by winning their division and ending the Dodgers' unprecedented four-year run atop the N.L. West. Will this be the year that Bumgarner gets the best of Kershaw? THE BEEDE EXPRESS? Tyler Beede is the rare pitching prospect who combines size, stuff and smarts. He backed off his velocity while pitching at Single-A San Jose in 2015 so he could work on his sinker, and then started blowing cheddar again while winning the Double-A Eastern League ERA title last year. His big league debut could be a month or three away. WHO'S IN LEFT? No matter how the Giants begin the season in le field, the competition figures to be an ongoing battle between Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson. One protracted slump in the big leagues could shuffle the deck. The Giants haven't produced an everyday outfielder in more than a decade, and they'd love for one of these power hitters to bring an end to that. CAIN MUST BE ABLE The Giants aren't relying heavily on Matt Cain, hoping for no more than reasonable competence in the No.5 spot in the rotation. But this is the final season of Cain's $112.5 million contract, and if this represents the last hurrah for the 32-year-old right-hander, who has accomplished so much for the franchise, the Giants would like to end it on a positive note. SHOWING BUM THE MONEY The clock isn't running out to extend Bumgarner, who is under club control through 2019. The Giants might wait another year, when Cain's deal is off the books and they know whether Johnny Cueto will opt for free agency. But Bumgarner is one of baseball's most accomplished players, and franchise pillars usually like to be paid as such. THE GIANTS Fiveplayerstowatchandplotlinesfortheseason PLOTLINES you only need to reflect on those 30 blown saves last season — and the big one in Game 4 against the Cubs that sent them home — to understand how valuable that late-game security really is. There's no reason to doubt that Melancon will lock down the ninth inning. Then again, once upon a time, the Giants were con - vinced that Armando Benitez was worth the hefty investment, too. WillSmith The reliever wasn't the Giants' most important or expensive ac- quisition at the Aug. 1 trade dead- line; fans more dearly mourned third baseman Matt Duffy, who was sacrificed in the trade to Tampa Bay for left-hander Matt Moore. But the Giants also paid quite a price to get Smith, sending first-round pick Phil Bickford to the Brewers. They viewed Smith as a durable left-hander who had the stuff to pitch a full inning without regard to matchups. The relievers hope to have more stable and predictable roles this season, and an effective Smith, who arrived with a sore elbow this spring, could be key. DenardSpan The defensive wiz started slowly last season as he continued to build strength following hip surgery, and while he appeared much more explosive and athletic in the second half, the Giants must get more from the leadoff spot this season. Their leadoff hitters scored 90 runs, the fewest in the N.L., and ranked 13th out of 15 teams with a .320 on-base percentage. Gregor Blanco isn't around any longer to provide a security blanket, although Gorkys Hernandez is a talented reserve. Still, the Giants lack organization - al depth in center field, so it'll be important that Span stay healthy and get on base more often. TRADEBAIT Remember when the Giants dealt Bengie Molina to clear the catching spot for Buster Posey in 2010? Well, that's unlikely to happen at third base this season. But if Christian Arroyo shows that he is undeniably ready for the big leagues, then perhaps Eduardo Núñez could fetch something at the trade deadline. The Giants gave up a lot to acquire le -handed reliever Will Smith from the Brewers at the Aug.1 trade deadline last season. BY ANDREW BAGGARLY GETTY IMAGES