Bochy has repeated that the bench will consist of the lucky few who provide the most "coverage." That is, versatility will be highly valued. Candidates who are on the 40-man roster have an edge, but that status isn't essential. Non-roster invitees have won Opening Day jobs in the recent past, such as outfielders Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres and utility man Joaquin Arias.
Experience is preferred but mostly unattainable for the Giants. Among the pool of reserves, only Blanco, infielder Conor Gillaspie and catcher George Kottaras can be termed as veterans. One wonders if, at some point this season, the club will regret being unable to sign Juan Uribe or Jimmy Rollins.