The Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are the three teams most interested in potentially adding Tim Lincecum, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
Lincecum won a pair of Cy Young Awards and three World Series rings in nine seasons in San Francisco. However, the Giants are not interested in returning the 31-year-old to the starting rotation, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman:
From 2008 to 2011, Lincecum was one of the game’s top arms. Only once in that time frame did he finish a season with an ERA over 3.00.
His career turned sour in the following years. He maintained an ERA well over 4.00 from 2012 to 2015 while compiling a mediocre record of 39-42.
After spending spring training and the duration of this season unemployed, Lincecum will not be immediately ready to make an impact in the eyes of the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Henry Schulman:
Per ESPN.com, the Giants (13th) and Angels (17th) are in the middle of the pack when it comes to team ERA. They could use some reinforcements on the mound to help push them back into the postseason.
The White Sox have the fifth-best team ERA in the majors, which means Lincecum would face less pressure to produce right away in Chicago. With the team leading the American League Central, Lincecum would provide championship experience to a franchise that has not made the playoffs since 2008.
Lincecum’s best days may be behind him, but he is still a viable option as a low-risk, high-reward addition. If he can even partly resemble what he once was, he will be a bargain should someone decide to pick him up.
All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted.
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