Most of the workout was broadcast live on the Giants website, while Marty Lurie and a couple of the production dudes from SFG Live provided commentary and interviews with players. The Giants debuted two “SFG Shorts” with one featuring Sergio Romo driving his Beamer to work and the other one showing a behind-the-scenes look at Buster Posey‘s first day of catching bullpens with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Elsewhere…

Closer Brian Wilson was back out there throwing long toss, a day after throwing a 27-pitch bullpen session. He showed no lingering effects.

- – - – -

Pablo Sandoval, Melky Cabrera, Nate Schierholtz, and Aubrey Huff were the first four players to take BP this morning. All of them put on their respective displays, especially Pablo, who was blasting BP pitches all over the place, much to the delight of the 200 or so fans who came to watch.

Sandoval, who had Lasik surgery on his left eye back in November, said he can now see the rotation of the ball as it approaches the plate. And that shoulder pain that prevented him from batting right-handed down the stretch last year? Gone, like the balls he blasted at Scottsdale Stadium today.

- – - – -

That booing sound you heard today while Cabrera was mashing balls in the batter’s box? That would be “Moooooooooo” (as in cows, as in Melk Man). Not sure if I like it or not yet.

- – - – -

After about 15 minutes of BP, a new set of Giants—Brandon Belt, Freddy Sanchez, Brandon Crawford, and Angel Pagan—went to work at the plate. Crawford was particularly impressive, knocking at least six balls out of the yard during his hacks.

The hitters will face live pitching for the first time on Sunday, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News.

- – - – -

In the field, it was new acquisition Ryan Theriot sharing time at shortstop with Brandon Crawford, while Mike Fontenot and Emmanuel Burriss shared time at second. No sign of Freddy today, who was rehabbing offsite according to Pavlovic.

Huff, Belt, Brett Pill, and yes, Buster Posey, all took turns fielding grounders at first base today.

- – - – -

Speaking of Theriot and Fontenot, the two were interviewed during the Giants’ live stream today and a couple of things were really and quickly noticeable: Theriot has guns like a UFC heavyweight and Fontenot has shaved off his “Wolverine” sideburns.

The two teased each other about World Series bragging rights, with Fontenot (who won a ring with the Giants in 2010) acquiescing to Theriot, who just won his ring with the Cardinals this past year.

- – - – -

According to Comcast SportsNet’s Andrew Baggarly, manager Bruce Bochy told him the Giants’ starting outfield will consist of Pagan in center, Cabrera in left, and Schierholtz in right. If that sounds familiar to you, that’s probably because that’s who I predicted would be out there on Opening Day in my “13 Giant Questions Entering Spring Training” article posted a week ago. (Translation: Stick with the veteran blogger who’s been a Giants fan longer than most of the saber-centric bloggers’ parents have been alive if you really wanna know what’s going on.)

- – - – -

Cabrera, who was the last position player to arrive in camp yesterday, wasn’t trying to stall for time in order to shed a few more last-minute pounds before making his first impression on his new manager and teammates. According to Baggs, Bochy proclaimed the Melk Man “in great shape. He can play anywhere in the outfield. He’s flexible in the lineup. That’s what we’re talking about now. We’ll see what makes the most sense for us.” I can see Melky batting third or fifth in the Giants’ lineup and maybe even leadoff on days that Pagan rests.

- – - – -

Prior to the players heading out to the field today, Bochy had them in the clubhouse talking  about the need to prepare and focus before games .

“I think we can do a better job with pre-game preparation,” Bochy told Baggarly. “That was a subject that we covered today.” The skipper also talked about the need for guys to hustle more.

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No, I’m not talking about Tim Lincecum (stiff back), Ryan Vogelsong (strained back), or Dan Runzler (left lat).

Instead, it was closer Brian Wilson whose name was ominously left off the schedule today, according to Comcast SportsNet’s Andrew Baggarly.

Wilson, who battled back problems last spring, and elbow and hip problems for most of 2011, greeted Baggarly with rugged silence when the Giants insider approached him this morning.

So Baggs did what any good reporter would do. He headed over to manager Bruce Bochy’s office to find out what was up with B-Weez.

“He’s fine and will throw today,” Bochy told Baggs. Just a mix-up with the people who type up the itineraries, evidently.

Wilson ended up tossing a 27-pitch session, “airing it out” on occasion, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle added, “I thought he looked good not only arm-wise, but he was hitting his location targets.”

Bullet dodged.

In other spring training news today…

Speaking of Lincecum and Runzler, both threw their scheduled bullpen sessions today. According to Pavlovic, Lincecum didn’t show any signs of the strained back that kept him out of action on Tuesday. And Runzler also threw pain-free.

- – - – -

The Melk Man cometh! New Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera arrived in camp as scheduled today to take his physical. He and the rest of his new teammates will conduct their first full workout tomorrow, now that everybody’s here and accounted for.

- – - – -

Great news on Freddy Sanchez‘s progress. The 34-year-old second baseman, who dislocated his shoulder in a game against the Reds on June 10 and subsequently missed the rest of the 2011 season, definitely expects to be ready by Opening Day, according to Jaymee Sire of Comcast SportsNet. Schulman says that Sanchez is now throwing five days a week with no pain and hitting is no problem, either. Still, for precautionary purposes, the Giants won’t put the three-time All-Star in the field until the second week of games.

- – - – -

Madison Bumgarner has not changed uniform numbers, like I had originally thought. Fans might remember that MadBum showed up on the Giants’ first townhall webcast on Feb. 3 sporting a No. 23 jersey. He wore it again the next day at FanFest, prompting many people (including me) to think he had switched numbers. But, according to his wife Ali, he wore that number because they brought him the wrong-sized No. 40 jersey. So there you go. He’s still No. 40.

- – - – -

When the day comes that the Giants need to replace Wilson, they need not look any further than their own farm system. In a scene that might have reflected a bit of foreshadowing, right-hander Heath Hembree stood next to Wilson the other day as the two fired fastballs into their bullpen catchers. While B-Weez was ordered to keep it at about 80 percent, Hembree was going all out, touching the high 90s with his blazing stuff. Even though Wilson is getting better each time he throws, it’s just a matter of time before the 23-year-old Hembree takes the bearded one’s job. “It’s a power arm that few guys have,” Bochy told Pavlovic today, acknowledging that it’s still “probably too early for Hembree to be in the bullpen mix.”

- – - – -

While I love Hembree, another young Giants prospect that I have written a lot of good things about is Seth Rosin. Pavlovic published a really nice piece on him today here. The article includes a YouTube link of the 6-foot-6, 245-pound pitcher making an incredible diving play at first base to get a runner out in a University of Minnesota game. The Giants really do have a lot of good young arms in their system, for those of you who are still bitter about the whole Zack Wheeler thing.

- – - – -

You may have heard that Milwaukee Brewers outfielder—and reigning National League MVP—Ryan Braun‘s 50-game suspension was overturned today. That’s all fine and dandy for Brew Crew fans, but for us Giants fans, it means we’ll have to deal with the Giant killer after all. Had the suspension stuck, the Giants would not have had to face Braun at all, since Milwaukee plays all six of its games against San Francisco during the first 44 games of the season. In five games against the Giants last year, the Hebrew Hammer crushed it, hitting .533/.650/1.067 (1.717 OPS) with two homers, two doubles, five walks, and three stolen bases.

- – - – -

I stopped going to Supercuts years ago (after they jacked up my ‘do for the umpteenth time). Looks like Giants infielder Brett Pill is learning that same lesson—the hard way. Pill had this to tweet earlier today:

Never fails that a trip to supercuts = $20 down the drain and me going home and shaving it anyway. At least I wear a hat everyday!

— Brett Pill (@PillzRgood) February 23, 2012

You live and you learn, Brett.

- – - – -

This is the time of year when everybody’s an expert (or at least thinks they are). I’m going to put former Mets/Blue Jays pitcher Al Leiter in the former group, since dude went out on a limb on national TV and picked the Giants to win the World Series. Local boy, Eric “Crash Test Dummy” Byrnes, meanwhile, went with the Washington Nationals, putting himself in the latter group. I wonder what F.P. Santangelo thinks. Not.

- – - – -

If you’re down in Arizona catching spring fever, don’t just settle for Scottsdale Stadium. There are a couple of other real gems down there, like Salt River Fields at Talking Stick (home of the Rockies and D-backs) and Hohokam Park (home of the Cubs) in Mesa. For that matter, you should check out the Giants’ minor league spring training camp site, too. The Giants Baseball Complex is located at 8045 E. Camelback Road in Scottsdale. All games there begin at 1:00 p.m.

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The big news today, of course, is how well Tim Lincecum is holding up after he couldn’t go yesterday because of a stiff back.

Timmy participated in cardio and stretches with the rest of the team on the field today and then threw off flat ground, airing it out at times. According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, The Freak could resume his bullpen sessions tomorrow.

Buster Posey was originally scheduled to catch a bullpen session for a second consecutive straight day but ended up working on agility drills instead.

Closer Brian Wilson did not pitch as scheduled (every third day), but according to Comcast SportsNet’s Andrew Baggarly, it was just a change of schedule and not a reason for concern. AP writer Jane McCauley noted that Wilson (and lefty reliever Dan Runzler, who is recovering from a left lat strain he suffered in September) will throw tomorrow instead.

Mike Fontenot arrived in camp today. He and Emmanuel Burriss are the two position players closest to the bubble, if you get my drift. Fontenot was in a light mood when he arrived asking no one in particular, “Why do they have to put me right next to Ryan Theriot?”

Fontenot and Theriot have close ties, with both men playing at LSU and as teammates with the Chicago Cubs.

Theriot was also in camp today getting his physical, along with Aubrey Huff, Gary Brown, and Conor Gillaspie.

Chris Haft of MLB.com noted that Huff looked to be in good shape, even if he does need a haircut. According to McCauley, Giants manager Bruce Bochy, upon seeing the “fit and trim” veteran, announced to everyone in the locker room that “Huff Daddy’s here! Playin’ third base, hittin’ in the three-hole.”

Speaking of fit and trim, Pablo Sandoval will officially weigh in tomorrow, according to McCauley. Anyone care to take a guess at how much he’ll come in at? I’ve got 240.

Still no word on a Matt Cain contract extension. Comcast SportsNet’s Andrew Baggarly wrote up a nice piece last night comparing Cain’s situation to that of Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Both pitchers have similar resumes and it seems like both are waiting on the other to sign an extension and provide some guidelines on a fair deal.

In case you’re wondering how some of the former Giants are doing this spring…

ESPN.com reports that manager Terry Collins has all but locked in Andres Torres as the Mets leadoff hitter. Wow. Quite the christening, Terry. You do know that he hit .221 last season, right?

In Kansas City, Jonathan Sanchez didn’t begin camp on time. He’s still nursing that severely sprained ankle that he suffered with the Giants back on Aug. 16—nearly three months before the Royals acquired Mr. Damaged Goods in a trade for Melky Cabrera.

Edgar Renteria, 35, is leaning toward retirement, according to MLB.com’s Cash Kruth.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes that Mark DeRosa’s wrist seems to have calmed down and that DeRo, 37, is hoping for a productive season with the Washington Nationals.

Oh, and in case you missed my late-night rant on Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross and his bitterness towards the Giants, check that out here.

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It’s late as I’m writing this so maybe I’ve just had a long day and I’m tired. But, man, it sure seems like Ross is bitter about the way things turned out for him in San Francisco.

In one article, by Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald, Ross practically calls Giants general manager Brian Sabean a liar:

“Sabean told me that’s not why they got me, but I know that it was. He said, ‘Contrary to what you may hear, we wanted you. We wouldn’t have put a claim on you if we didn’t.’  I said, ‘I don’t care. I’m here. Let’s go. I’ll do anything you want me to do.’ “

Ross is talking about the reason the Giants plucked him off the waiver wire in August of 2010. And he’s obviously sticking to his story that San Francisco was more interested in blocking the San Diego Padres from acquiring him than picking up a sixth outfielder.

“They already had five outfielders. I was coming in as the sixth outfielder. When I got there I wasn’t playing, and I was saying to myself, ‘What’s going on?’ It was tough. I’ll be honest with you.”

Wow. Bitter much, Cody?

Rather than just walk away gracefully from the team that allowed him to win a World Series ring, Ross is blabbing his mouth all around Beantown talking about how much better it is in Boston.

In a Boston.com article by Nick Cafardo, Ross says:

“I’m really excited right now to be a part of an amazing organization, to know what these guys are all about. That’s what I want to do. Great group of guys. Looking forward to it… Boston is a great fit.”

Ross earned $6.3 million dollars with the Giants last year and originally stated that he wanted a three-year deal, then softened his demands to a two-year deal. When no one wanted to invest in him for longer than a year, he settled for a one-year contract.

In the Boston.com story, he goes on to say he chose the Red Sox over “several options” this off-season, including—apparently—the San Francisco Giants.

Maybe Cody is just one of those guys who knows what to say when the cameras are rolling. I mean, all you have to do is substitute the word ‘Boston’ for ‘San Francisco’ in the quote above and you have practically the same sound bite Ross gave when he first came to the Giants.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for the time we had The Boss. The Giants wouldn’t have won the World Series had Ross not took it to Roy Halladay and the Phillies the way he did in the NLCS. He will always be a big fan favorite in the Bay Area because of that.

But can you at least act like you’re a little bummed to not be a Giant anymore, Cody?

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Among those who made early arrivals today? Pablo Sandoval, Angel Pagan, and Freddy Sanchez.

Prior to showing up to Scottsdale Stadium today, all three have been very busy preparing for the 2012 season.

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Sandoval has been working out in Miami with his personal trainer. He looked good, according to Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who confirmed that the Kung Fu Panda has lost weight since FanFest two weeks ago. Sandoval refused to announce his weight just yet.

Sanchez was here in the late fall, rehabbing his injured shoulder before taking a break to spend some time with his family, and Pagan has been readying himself for his new gig with the Giants by working with a personal hitting instructor in Florida.

One of the bigger stories out of camp today was the latest injury setback for a Giants player. Unlike the broken finger suffered by minor leaguer Charlie Culberson (a significant injury to an insignificant player), this one was an insignifant injury to a significant player.

Two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum was held out of action this morning because of back stiffness. Within seconds of getting the information, all the beat writers began tweeting the information out. As one might expect, the news kind of got blown out of proportion.

Not to be compared to Ryan Vogelsong, who strained his back lifting weights a couple of weeks ago, Lincecum was just experiencing a little stiffness in his lower back. The kind of stiffness that you and I feel on any given morning. No big deal, really.

In fact, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that Timmy had the same thing happen last year. So did Brian Wilson. “Mine’s stiff now, to be honest,” Bochy said.

That’s a whole lot of stiffies.

Speaking of stiffs, Angel Villalona (who was cleared of charges that he killed a man a couple years back) won’t be in camp on time. The 21-year old infielder is still having problems getting his visa cleared. Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with his legal issues, which have been well documented. Seems that Villalona (who was added to the Giants’ 40-man roster in December) is being held back for conditioning and medical reasons.

According to Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet, Villalona “was deemed unfit to qualify for his P-1 visa, which requires that he establish his status as an elite athlete.” Hmmmmmm. Very interesting, to say the least. (If you’re so inclined, you can check out the official government policy on P-1 visa requirements here.)

Giants VP Bobby Evans told Baggs that the delay could be anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks or longer and that the club is hoping it can convince the U.S. Consulate in Santo Domingo that Villalona, who has a similar build as Sandoval, is “in the condition he should be.” As for the medical issue, the team can’t comment on that due to privacy laws. In the meantime, Villalona’s jersey still awaits him in the Giants’ locker room.

Jaymee Sire of Comcast SportsNet tweeted that Vogelsong is feeling better today and was back at the yard after being sent home with the crud yesterday.

Remember when lefty reliever Dan Runzler strained his lat in the seventh inning of the Giants’ final game on Sept. 28? It seems he is still not 100 percent, according to a tweet from Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 26-year-old Runzler, who appeared in 31 games for the G-men last year and posted a 6.26 ERA and 1.646 WHIP, is competing for one of the final spots in the Giants’ bullpen this spring. Let’s face it. If he’s not fully healthy by Opening Day, he could very well wind up in Triple-A to start the season.

Chris Haft of MLB.com reports that Sanchez was working in the field on agility drills today. He can hit just fine, but won’t be playing second base in spring games until mid-March, according to Bochy.

Buster Posey was back in the squat today and caught bullpens from Barry Zito and Jeremy Affeldt.

Meanwhile, catcher Tommy Joseph, who I ranked No. 3 on my “22 Giants Prospects You Need To Know” list in November, looked awesome in BP today, roping liners and blasting bombs all over the place. He and the other catchers in camp all worked with Bochy (a former catcher himself) on swipe tags this morning. It’s highly unlikely the 20-year-old will steal the backup job from Chris Stewart or Eli Whiteside, so don’t get too excited…yet.

In case you’re heading down to Scottsdale this spring, you might want to print out the non-roster invitees list and 40-man roster. I’ve got all the jersey numbers of the Giants players listed, so you’ll know who’s who out there on the diamond.

The first Cactus League game will be on Friday, Mar. 3 against the D-backs. Early birds can catch the Giants’ worm as they play an intrasquad game on March 1.

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Just not as a player.

Burrell, who recently quit the game because of lingering foot problems that prevent him from playing pain-free, could return to the Giants…as a special assistant.

According to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the 35-year-old Burrell might show up at spring training for a week or two and—like Will Clark and J.T. Snow before him—provide some old-fashioned experience and advice to the young dudes.

Schulman confirmed that Giants skipper Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean have indeed talked to Burrell about rejoining the organization. Bochy was quoted as saying, “We think a lot of Pat.”

Burrell would likely be used as some type of hitting instructor. We know he’s not being brought in to talk about the idiosyncrasies of playing left field.

Come to think of it, Pat The Bat could be just the type of guy to help reinvigorate the clubhouse if things get too tense. I can see it now: Giants lose a couple of guys to injuries, look flat in their first few Cactus League games, start barking at each other in the clubhouse…and in walks some dude in a skimpy, leather gimp outfit to loosen things up.

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The Giants suffered another injury Monday when it was revealed that minor league second baseman Charlie Culberson will be out indefinitely with a broken finger on his left hand. Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was the first to tweet the news. Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet says that Culberson dropped a weight on the tip of his finger.

Yesterday, news about Ryan Vogelsong‘s back injury reverberated throughout Giants nation. Vogelsong, who is also battling the crud, will be out up to two weeks after straining his back lifting weights. Maybe trainer Dave Groeschner needs to start doing safety sessions in the weight room.

The injury to Culberson isn’t exactly a blow of the Buster Posey or Freddy Sanchez proportion, but with the way things panned out last season, fans don’t really want the “Another Day, Another Injury” tune to get stuck in their heads.

Culberson, 22, wouldn’t have made the team anyway. The Giants’ 2007 first round draft pick spent the entire 2011 season at Double-A Richmond, where he batted .259/.293/.382 (0.675 OPS) with 10 HR, 56 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 137 games (587 plate appearances). Culberson’s a mid-range prospect who I rated 21st on my “22 Giants Prospects You Need To Know” list back in November.

In other Day 3 news…

• Brian Wilson continues to make progress as he slowly works his arm back into shape after experiencing serious elbow problems all of last year, evidently. According to Schulman , manager Bruce Bochy declared Wilson’s bullpen session today “better than it was three days ago.” Baggarly quoted Bochy as saying, “I don’t think he needs a lot of outings, to be honest” and adds that Wilson is throwing pain-and-hiccup-free at about 80 percent right now.

Wilson also reportedly pitched with sore hips and a sore back for most of last year. (Funny, he looked fine busting moves in San Francisco mayor Ed Lee’s campaign video). Looks like B-Weez will pitch in the pen every three days and begin pitching in Cactus League games on or around March 11.

• Tim Lincecum spent some time working on his pickoff move today, per Schulman. He was notorious for letting opposing base runners get huge leads and swipe bases off him last year, so it’s good to see Timmy upping his game in that area.

• KNBR host Marty Lurie reported that Heath Hembree was throwing at about 95 mph today.

• Finally, in one of the strangest stories of the spring so far, Kevin Kaduk at Yahoo’s Big League Stew writes that former Giants outfielder Carlos Beltran recently footed the bill for his ex-Mets teammate Jonathon Niese‘s nose job. before and after pics at BLS.

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Kroon, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year during spring training, is a class act. The guy was one of the friendliest players in camp and always took time out (more so than most other players) to chat with fans. Seemed like he always had a smile on his face, too.

Originally taken by the Mets in the second round of the 1991 draft, Kroon pitched for manager Bruce Bochy when the two were in San Diego. Bochy coaxed him into withholding his retirement last year, in case the Giants needed him, and Kroon was extended an invitation to spring training.

He performed well in camp (1-0, 1.86 ERA, 11 L in 9.2 innings), but prior to Opening Day was assigned to Triple-A Fresno, where he went 2-5 with a 5.11 ERA, 1.642 WHIP, and 20 saves for the Grizzlies. He never got called to San Francisco.

Kroon became a legend in Japan after he set the record for the fastest pitch ever in Japanese baseball in 2005, at 161 km/h (100 mph). Three years later, he was clocked at 162 km/h [watch video].

During his six seasons in Japan, Kroon racked up 177 saves to go along with a 2.68 ERA and 1.141 WHIP in 305.1 innings.

He announced his retirement via Twitter on Sunday:

After 21 years I have decided to retire from the game of baseball. I am excited for the next adventure in my life and being a full time parent. I have been blessed too be able too (sic) have a great career. I could not have done it without the support of so many people. I would like to thank the N.Y. Mets (who drafted me), Padres (Major League Debut), Reds, Mariners, Dodgers, Angles, Tomoteros (Mexico), Yokohama Baystars, Tokyo Giants and the S.F. Giants for giving me the opportunity to play the game I love. I would like to thank every coach and teammate that I have ever come across in my career. The fans in Japan and America you were amazing with your support I love you. Most of all to my family. My wife Tricia and kids M.J, @matthew_kroon, and Madison who made my career possible I could not have done it without there support. I love you. My mom for raising me and believing in me I love you mom. My sisters I love you. What an amazing ride!!! I can say It was an honor to play this game. It is great to know the last Big League jersey i wore was the S.F. Giants!! You fans were great I will never forget you!! #ontothenext I still will remain on twitter so plz continue following me.

Good luck in whatever the future holds for you next, Marc!

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There he was, sitting in the squat, receiving fastballs and assorted other pitches from familiar batterymates Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

And there he also was in the batting cage, swinging his lumber with that sweet, familiar stroke.

Buster Posey looked great on Sunday, the second day of spring training.

Still recovering from a trenchant leg and ankle injury that wasted most of his 2011 season, Buster reminded his teammates, coaches, a few local reporters and national media folks, and fans on hand at Scottsdale Stadium that Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.

During BP, he roped pitches to left field mainly, even blasting a couple high over the fence into the lawn seats. According to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News, Posey looked good in all four rounds of batting practice.

Behind the plate, he dug out a couple of pitches in the dirt. But no blocking yet. That’s coming later, so says skipper Bruce Bochy.

I think Pavlovic said everything you want to hear as a Giants fan when he wrote, “Aside from the brace on his left leg, there are no signs so far that Posey was ever hurt.”

Posey is reportedly pining to play in the March 3rd Cactus League opener against the D-backs. And I say let him!

My inside scoop, Crook, got some nice stills and shot some video of one of Posey’s BP sessions and was kind enough to send it to me for your viewing pleasure:

How Posey’s ankle and leg respond to baseball activity remains to be seen. He told Pavlovic that his ankle is sore when he wakes up, but “after a few steps it feels normal. I’m really happy with the way everything felt today.”

So is Lincecum, who told Comcast SportsNet’s Andrew Baggarly, “it was like having the old Posey back.”

Barry Zito added, “It’s good for the morale of the team. We feel like we’re a full unit again.”

Of course, if things get too bad, Bochy could always toss Posey out in left field, like he did with Pablo Sandoval for an inning during the Taiwan tour in October.

That idea wouldn’t fly with Buster, though, who told reporters today, “I’m too slow (to play in the outfield). Then again, Burrell played out there.”

Besides, Posey’s intent on being a catcher. And that’s it. He knows the day is coming when his body will force him to first base or DH (if he ever ends up in the American League). It’s foolish to think otherwise. Ivan Rodriguez, Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek…the list of converted catchers is larger than the number of pain pills these (and most other major league) backstops have had to swallow from years of taking a beating behind the dish.

But for now and the foreseeable future, he’s a catcher and still has a lot of fire in his belly to prove that his place among the Johnny Bench‘s and Gary Carter‘s of the world is secure.

Posey’s not the only Giant trying to work the kinks out this spring.

According to Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, pitcher Zito is looking to add some velocity and more movement to his pitches by using his legs more. (Earth to Zito: Aren’t pitchers taught in Little League to use their legs to generate power?)

Schulman also noted in his blog that right-hander Ryan Vogelsong might be out a couple weeks with a strained back that he suffered while lifting weights earlier this month (more on this story here). An MRI confirmed the strain, similar to the one Brian Wilson showed up to camp with last year.

Speaking of Wilson, he too threw off a mound today. So far, so good for B-Weez, whose right elbow flared up late last season.

Sandoval has been a tweeting (and workout) fool the past couple of days. He’s been busting ass in Miami until he and the rest of the non-injured offensive dudes show up to Scottsdale on Thursday. Most of the Panda’s tweets have been centered around his workout sessions with his trainer, Greg Oliver. He did happen to toss out a tweet about a Pepsi commercial that he shot with Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen and pitcher Carlos Zambrano.

Still no word on a new Cain contract, but Schulman did report today that Madison Bumgarner told him that he has not yet been approached by the team about a long-term contract. I don’t see why Schulman would even ask MadBum about that. It’s not like the Giants are under any kind of pressure to protect the 22-year-old from free agency. He’s not even eligible for arbitration until 2013. Call me when 2017 gets here, Hank.

Among the national media outlets at Scottsdale Stadium today: ESPN, FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, and USA Today. No Showtime. But you already knew that. Check out the ESPN video interviews with Posey (here) and Bochy (here).

Here are a couple of stills featuring Zito, Lincecum, Wilson and Posey, courtesy of the Crookmaster:

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Vogelsong, 33, just signed a two-year, $8.3 million dollar contract with the team to avoid arbitration after putting together a surprising 2011 season in which he went 13-7 with a 2.71 ERA, 1.252 WHIP, 7.0 SO/9 rate, and 3.1 BB/9 rate.

He also earned his first All-Star nod last summer.

Should he tweak his back or something, the Giants do have Eric Surkamp or Ramon Ortiz they could turn to as a short-term solution.

But I wouldn’t be too concerned about the injury, Giants fans. It’s way early in the spring and the MRI he had on his back didn’t show any structural damage. A treatment plan of alternating heat and ice plus rest should make Vogey strong in no time.

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