Denard Span: Will start in center and lead off in 2016

Span will start in center field and lead off in 2016, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

Analysis:

This was mostly expected, but the existence of Angel Pagan cast some doubt on whether the Giants would use Span as the Nationals had previously done. If Span stays healthy and performs at the level of his last two seasons in Washington, when he posted a .301/.358/.421 line and 42 steals in 49 attempts, he's an ideal leadoff hitter. However, those are some big ifs, given that Span is now 31 and had to miss more than half of 2015 with hip and back ailments following core muscle surgery last March. He should considered be a high-risk, moderate-reward option for 2016.