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If Lincecum (left) is the ace of the rotation, then Barry Zito (right) needs to catch up.

I don't know what it is, but there is some fun feeling in the Bay area coming soon.

It seems like everyone has forgotten that Barry Bonds is not the face of the SF Giants anymore. No more can the turnmoil of legal problems control their destiny.

Tim Lincecum, you are the man. The new face of the franchise.

Forget Barry Bonds. Forget Barry Zito's contract. Forget Mike Krukow should leave the Bay area because of his biased he has for the Giants. This Giants team is for real. Not only will they be competitive in the long run, but they will have a shot at the postseason.

The rotation, other than Zito, can widen your eyes a little. Imagine the little guy, Lincecum, your new ace. Matt Cain an innings eater in the middle of the rotation. Randy Johnson doing what C.C. should have done if it wasn't for the Yankees and playing at home, going for a shot at 300 wins with 5 left.

The huge concern, in term of dollar value, is Zito. His second half was way inproved from the disaster he had when he went 0-8 at some point. I've watched the mechanics of his delivery drastically change since coming to the Bay Area in SF. You could blame the school of injury at USC (Mark Prior, anyone). He is the only one of the big three (Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder) that haven't been injured yet. He needs to have more control of his 12-6 curveball and make it a strikeout pitch. He could also improve on his slider and change-up so he could work on his strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The lineup has improved as well. Edgar Renteria is welcomed back to the NL where he's had better success. You still have Bengie Molina, Randy Winn competiting at one point for the batting title, and Aaron Roland. Plus a youth movement with guys like Fred Lewis.

The bullpen has gotten better in numbers statistically with Jeremy Affeldt as a lefty pitcher. Brian Wilson is still your closer after making an all-star appearance last year.

Other than that, expect the Giants to not only improve greatly, but to compete with the Dodgers team who are losing experienced guys on their rosters and Diamondbacks.

Season Prediction: From comparing the Giants to the Dodgers, it seems like the Dodgers have a good lineup, but San Francisco has experience and an improved rotation. The question is whether Barry Zito can stay consistant after last season's disaster. I expect this team to finish above .500 in their regular season record and against NL West rivals. The postseason is a possibility.

Bottom Line: As long as Barry Bonds isn't in the picture, the Giants have no worries other than Zito.