INDIANAPOLIS — There shouldn’t be any question what Giants general manager Brian Sabean needs to find when the checkered flag falls on the winter meetings at the end of this week.

A hitter. Probably two. Or at least a few solid leads.
It could be a slugging trade target like Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla. It could be a free agent with on-base abilities like first baseman Nick Johnson.
But the action is on Sabean to find someone. He might have just received a two-year extension from managing partner Bill Neukom, but fans are restless. The Giants have played two seasons in the post-Barry Bonds era, and Sabean is no closer to building a respectable lineup.
Their dynamic pitching staff, fronted by Tim Lincecum’s once-in-a-generation arm, led the Giants to an 88-win year — snapping a streak of four losing seasons — but nobody felt good about depriving that talented staff a shot at the playoffs.
When the Giants scored at least three runs, they were 76-25, the best winning percentage in the majors. When they didn’t? Try 12-49.
Even a league-average offense would have been good enough. But the Giants ranked last with a .309 on-base percentage, making them the most prodigious collection of out-makers in the major leagues.
So Sabean isn’t discriminating. He will take a productive stick wherever he can find one. He would like to keep Pablo Sandoval at third base and Freddy Sanchez at second base, but both players can slide to other infield positions, giving the Giants flexibility to maintain a longer list.
Uggla, a sorely needed right-handed pull hitter, is widely believed to top that list. With the Marlins perennially fighting to keep their payroll at modest levels, they are expected to actively shop the arbitration-eligible second baseman. But Sabean said he won’t give up any prime assets for a player getting close to free agency, and the Marlins are asking for players like left-hander Madison Bumgarner. Expensive veterans such as Randy Winn, Randy Johnson and Dave Roberts are off the books, and the Giants will save a chunk by letting Bengie Molina, their ill-fitting cleanup hitter the past two seasons, sign with another club.
But there’s no windfall to spend without a serious payroll spike, which isn’t in the plans. Lincecum is expected to receive a record-setting raise in salary arbitration; left-hander Jonathan Sanchez and closer Brian Wilson are due raises, too. Sabean already has said the Giants won’t have the money to pursue outfielders Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, the top two offensive free agents on the market.
The Giants will go shopping on the second tier. Along with Nick Johnson, that market includes first baseman Adam LaRoche, outfielder Jermaine Dye, third baseman Adrian Beltre, outfielder Xavier Nady, outfielder Johnny Damon and infielder Miguel Tejada.
Dye, an Oakland native who grew up in Vacaville, might be the most affordable hitter with demonstrated power potential. He fits the Sabean mold of a battle-tested veteran with postseason success and a proven track record. He also hit .179 in the second half of last season, though, and advanced metrics grade him as one of the poorest defensive left fielders in baseball.
The Giants already made perhaps their most important decision this winter, determining that prospect Buster Posey isn’t ready to be an everyday catcher in the big leagues. Ivan Rodriguez, Yorvit Torrealba and Brad Ausmus have been linked to the Giants, but players such as Miguel Olivo, Rod Barajas and Jason Kendall might be more likely targets.
Ideally, the Giants also would sign a No. 5 starter so their other top prospect, Bumgarner, can begin the season at Triple-A Fresno. Brad Penny rejected a one-year offer, and if he doesn’t circle back, Sabean will look to sign another starter to an affordable one-year deal.
If the market leaves him with few choices, Sabean said he would look to re-sign Bob Howry or another veteran reliever to fortify the staff that way. Regardless, it doesn’t appear the Giants have the starting-pitching depth to trade an arm for a bat.
Neukom’s timeline calls for the Giants to contend in 2010 and beyond. They took a 16-game step up in the standings last season, but it will take a lot more roster refurbishing to continue their upward trajectory.
Sabean might have won Neukom’s approval, but for many of the team’s paying customers, he still has a lot to prove.