Jeff Samardzija using reliever's mindset in Giants starting rotation

Farhan Zaidi addresses his plan to create a more versatile Giants rosterSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jeff Samardzija was a relief pitcher early in his career, so he knows what it's like to air it out from the start of an appearance. The Giants have him locked into the rotation, but they still want him to take that old approach.

Samardzija's run of five consecutive 200-inning seasons ended last year, and with the right-hander coming off a season wrecked by a persistent shoulder injury, the Giants have no intention of letting him get anywhere close to that mark this season. Once Samardzija accepted that he's no longer needed as a workhorse, he started thinking about different ways to use those 100 or…