SCOTTSDALE -- What stood out most on the first day of Giants camp was that not much actually stood out.
For an organization that technically is under new leadership, everything just kind of felt normal. If you didn't know any better, the first day of camp very well could have been the 15th, and for Buster Posey, that's a good thing.
The new president of baseball operations looks completely comfortable in the role, and just about every other person at Scottsdale Stadium knew exactly where to go at all times Wednesday. Sure, Willy Adames and Justin Verlander are new and there's a fresh batch of non-roster invitees, but for the most part, the players and coaches gathered for spring training have been here before. Even young pitchers like Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp are fully familiar with the clubhouse and the routine, having done it all last year.
There was a change at the top, but not much changed overall. And that's just fine with Posey. On Day 1, he said he likes the group he inherited.
"We believe in some of this young talent that we have," Posey said as he stood in the dugout with general manager Zack Minasian. "There's a lot of guys that don't have a ton of time, but it's exciting. It's exciting to get a chance to hopefully watch these guys turn into great big leaguers."
That will be the focus of camp, because there sure doesn't seem to be a lot of uncertainty with the veterans.
During the first workout for pitchers and catchers, Posey reiterated that a bulked-up Jordan Hicks will be in the rotation, leaving just one spot for young options competing this spring. Harrison and Birdsong are the favorites in that competition, although Roupp opened a lot of eyes late last year.
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There were some questions about the backup catcher spot in the offseason, but Tom Murphy is healthy and a full go. He'll be Patrick Bailey's partner, with the other options in camp more likely to fill out the Triple-A roster. At the end of games, they'll catch Ryan Walker, who enters a season as the closer for the first time.
The bullpen could have two to three jobs available, but they all could go to familiar faces. Posey also said it'll be the usual look at first base. The Giants don't plan to add to a position that right now consists of LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores.
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Aside from that final rotation spot, the biggest question on Day 1 was the designated hitter spot. Bob Melvin has six weeks to figure out who his first choice will be.
"That's the one spot I'm a little stuck on right now," Melvin said. "Look, there's a lot of camp, and we've talked too about (using multiple guys) a little bit. That's a difficult question for me to answer right now. I've got eight spots I kind of like as far as where we go with the lineup. The DH one ... we'll see."
Melvin did offer some hints, saying the more experienced hitters -- Jerar Encarnacion, Flores, Jake Lamb -- are leaders in that race. He also called the Flores-Wade combination at first "kind of an easy one" to put back together if Flores resembles his old self.
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There will be surprises, and there will be injuries. But at the moment, there's just not a whole lot of drama at Giants camp. They're thrilled to have Adames and Verlander in place. The rest of their immediate future will likely be decided by how quickly their young teammates can catch up.
