John Shea runs down the outlook and chances for the Giants and A’s in the upcoming season.

Last year, for the first time since 1999, neither the Giants nor A’s made the playoffs. Both were flawed teams, partly because of inadequate bullpens and a lack of true closers. The A’s had holes in their offense. The Giants had holes in their gloves.

Both got eliminated on the final weekend and have been reshuffling their rosters ever since. Six months after checking out of ’04, they’re ushering in ’05 with new characters and new visions.

That last weekend of last season was terribly disappointing. There have been a lot of changes since then, and I think both teams have what they need for a great season. The cross-Bay preseason series starts tonight, 7:15 PM on FSNBA. I can’t wait!