Matt Cain News

San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum won the National League Cy Young Award on Thursday for the second straight year, emerging from one of the tightest votes in the history of the honor to become the first repeat winner since Randy Johnson .

The Giants received the worst possible news Thursday when Tim Lincecum won his second consecutive Cy Young Award.

Here's our take on all this: Wins are totally out of a pitcher's control. Without supporting offense early and relief late, he is toast.

Randy Winn is as good as gone from the Giants. But maybe it's more fitting to consider him good and almost certainly gone.

The impressive seasons recorded by Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval could be punctuated by exclamation points in the next several days.

As the World Series turns: -- The Yankees may have the inside track on a World Series title, but Giants management should take note of their plight.

John pulls no punches in his coverage of the Giants and his support of Barry Bonds.

Is J.A. Happ a one year wonder? View full size photo uploaded October 22, 2009 Yesterday I posted an article discussing the pitchers with the best FIP, or Fielding Independent Pitching, which aims to give fantasy/roto owners a clearer picture of how well, or not so well, a pitcher performed in 2009.

Tim Lincecum often has said after a routinely excellent performance that it's not what you've done that counts; it's what you're doing now.

The Diamondbacks have a lot of work to do this off-season. Lucky for them, it looks as if they will have something north of $28 million to spend on 2010 payroll.

I love Matt Cain. Let's get that out of the way immediately, so you don't go forward thinking I would actually want to deal the young stud right-hander. There is no argument, however, to be made against the fact that the Giants desperately need to add some serious offense to their lineup, and some depth in the upper levels of the organization.

Manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean are staying with the San Francisco Giants.

Pablo Sandoval led your team in walks this season . Please ponder the significance of that tidbit throughout this offseason.

So Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy got their deals, as expected. And the new season begins in 172 days, and the Giants will be handed new and grander expectations because, as we know, every time a team gains 16 wins, it must by definition pick up another 16 the next year, give or take a few.

What was expected of the San Francisco Giants at the start of the 2009 Major League Baseball season? Good pitching and poor hitting.

Intangibles and individuals blended seamlessly to help the Giants sustain a season-long run that nearly put them in the postseason for the first time since 2003 and for the first time without Barry Bonds, baseball's all-time home run leader, since 1989.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants , 10:15 p.m. A pair of right-handers get together this evening, when Matt Cain and the San Francisco Giants welcome Dan Haren and the Arizona Diamondbacks to town in the first of three straight games at AT&T Park.

With Sunday's 4-3 win in extras over the San Diego Padres a thing of the past, the 2009 San Francisco Giants season is officially completed.

Freddy Sanchez is likely to be the second baseman in 2010. Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner need more seasoning in the minors.

Most Giants fans will look back on this season with a smile. What a run. And it was fun.