Tim Lincecum worked out for between 15 and 20 teams yesterday, per a pair of reports from Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Both reports peg Lincecum’s fastball between 90 and 92 mph at the showcase, with Feinsand noting that he touched 93 mph at one point and Divish specifying that the pitch sat in the 91 mph range for the most part. (His fastball sat 87.7 mph with the Angels in 2016 and 87.2 mph with the Giants in 2015.) Divish spoke to an NL scout who stated that Lincecum showed “a better shape and bite to his curveball than in past years” and a better changeup, though he also suggested that the two-time Cy Young winner currently lacks a true out pitch. Feinsand notes that Lincecum didn’t personally meet with any scouts or team executives before or after the showcase yesterday, adding that he “took awhile to get warmed up,” which wouldn’t be ideal for teams interested in him as a reliever.
Both reports suggest, though, that Lincecum should have no trouble finding a big league invite to Spring Training based on yesterday’s results.
Some more free agent chatter from around the league as the weekend approaches…
- The Padres’ personnel department has “fallen in love” with Eric Hosmer, writes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego continues to maintain serious interest in adding Hosmer’s bat and leadership skills to its emerging core of young players — so much so that two sources indicated to Acee that the team would forgo making a big splash in next year’s free agent crop if it meant signing Hosmer this winter. Part of that likely stems from their interest in Hosmer, while some of the thinking is likely also attributable to the fact that more traditional big spenders like the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox (as well as possibly the Rangers and Giants) will be more aggressive next winter. It’s difficult, after all, to envision the Friars topping any of those deep-pocketed clubs in a bidding war.
- Lincecum wasn’t the only pitcher to host a showcase on Thursday; ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (via Twitter) that left-hander Kevin Siegrist pitched for a crowd of about 20 scouts in Florida yesterday in an effort to show that he’s healthy after a poor, injury-marred 2017 season. The 28-year-old Siegrist posted sub-3.00 ERAs with the Cardinals in 2015-16 before struggling to a 4.81 ERA last year in season during which he logged DL time for both a forearm issue and a spinal sprain. Siegrist averaged a career-worst 5.03 walks per nine innings pitched last season, and his 92 mph average fastball was down noticeably from his peak, when his heater averaged 93.7 mph. Any club that signs Siegrist for the 2018 season could control him through 2019 via arbitration, as he presently has four years, 116 days of MLB service time.
- Free-agent righty Chris Tillman had multiple offers in hand as of yesterday afternoon, per MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli (Twitter link), though the Orioles had not yet made him a formal offer to return at that point. Baltimore has been linked to Tillman, its longtime top starter, throughout the offseason. The Orioles still have a pair of open rotation spots even after signing Andrew Cashner to a two-year contract. Tillman, 30 in April, turned in a catastrophic 7.84 ERA in 93 innings last year in a season that was largely derailed by shoulder injuries. He’s also been linked to the Twins, Blue Jays and Phillies over the past month or so, although the Jays may be off the table now after signing Jaime Garcia to a one-year deal yesterday.
- The Mets had interest in Jaime Garcia before he signed with Toronto on Thursday, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets are focusing their efforts on adding a starter that won’t come with draft/international forfeitures (i.e. Alex Cobb, Lance Lynn, Jake Arrieta). Puma reported yesterday that Jason Vargas remains on the Mets’ list of targets, noting that he was briefly with the organization back in 2007-08 and has spent the past four seasons working with new Mets pitching coach Dave Eiland, who formerly held that same position with the Royals.
Tillman has multiple offers? What is he waiting for?
They might all be minor league contracts with a ST invite and he’s holding out for a major league deal.
They were from Home Depot & Loews
Well fall out of love with him. He’s inconsistent year by year (WAR each year since 2014: .8, 3.6, 1, 4), and even though he’s won a gold glove, he still ranks below average as a defender (-7 DRS last year).
Exactly. It seems like they’re thinking with there hearts and not their brains. I mean, I really hope they’re not seriously considering sitting out of next year’s free agent class just to get this guy. That just screams desperate.
*their
I wouldn’t say it is desperation, it’s more being realistic. As the piece says, the big spenders have set themselves up to give ludacris contracts to Harper, Machado, Donaldson and Kershaw(if he opts out). The Padres will not be able to make a competitive offer to any of the top tier free agents next year, so why not get one of the 2 best bats from this years crop? As said before, Hosmer could be the Jayson Werth for the Padres rebuild. A great leader in the clubhouse, which by all accounts Hosmer is, will go along way with all of the young kids hopefully graduating to the big league club over the next 4-5 seasons.
2 best bats? Hosmer? No way! Why would the Padres or any team spend that kind of cash on Hosmer? When they could spread that money around
on multiple players
and help the team so much more that way!
Are Hosmer and Martinez not the 2 big bats in this years free agent class? The Padres signing Martinez would make absolutely no sense, but with Hosmer’s age, play and leadership skills he would/could make sense. And out of curiosity, which players would you like the Padres to “spread the money around on”? The Padres have been signing middling free agents for as long as I can remember and where has that gotten them?
Shields was supposedly a great leader in the clubhouse but by the time he was traded (just 16 months after the Padres signed him) people were calling him a clubhouse cancer. Just because a guy’s personality jibes well with one clubhouse doesn’t mean it will with every clubhouse.
Defensive metrics for 1B are really bad.
Hosmer had 1235 putouts last year, but only had 195 balls hit to him. Defensive metrics only take into account the balls hit to the 1B.
The “zones” that the defensive metrics use to determine effectiveness do not take into account men on base or defensive placement/shifts.
Defensive metrics do not take into account scoops, balls in the dirt that 1B turn into outs. Defensive metrics don’t take into account picks, balls offline in the air that 1B turn into outs. Hosmer was the best in baseball at both of these the past 3 seasons and not by just a little bit. 123 scoops for Hosmer to 96 for Rizzo and 86 for Goldschmidt. 30 more outs than the other really good 1B over those 3 seasons. 64 more outs than guys like Santana and Belt that are considered better defensive 1B.
Hosmer may not have the best range, but what he does is make sure anything thrown to him is caught better than anyone else in baseball and a 1B has 1000 more balls thrown to him than balls hit to him a season.
We really need to keep our eye on the ball when it comes to what is important defensively.
I agree. I like defensive metrics for nearly all the other positions, but I don’t care how much range my first baseman has. I think Hosmer is really overrated, but he can scoop bad throws, which is all they should have to do
I wont dispute the inconsistant bat, but this idea he isnt a good defender is rediculous. The defensive ratings hammer him for a lack of range but give zero credit for his ability to pick balls out of the dirt and air. I have to ask do you want a first baseman that can double as a short stop or rather have a guy that can pick every errant throw. Just watch royals infielders with and without him at first and you will see a major difference.
Bidding war for Hosmer?
My bad bidding war was not attributed to Hosmer
Does anyone remember the order in which to Best defeat the bosses on mega man 2?
No, but I remember the cheat for Ken Griffey Jr baseball game on super Nintendo. It allowed a HR from him every time if if you were fast enough. hit 260 dingers one season.
Yes!!
Nice! I remember the WHAT IS A WREN trick for Baseball Stars on NES. that game was truly ahead of its time.
I had a blast when I found the cheat and would play for hours just to see how many I could hit in a row. I loved it. My wife….not so much.
Wife= dream killer
Hahaha.
Vargas is signing with the Mets
“Lincecum had told two reporters earlier in the week that his curveball was the best it’s been in years. He threw several that had the pronounced, loopy break reminiscent of his rookie season, when he was a two-pitch thrower who overwhelmed minor leaguers to break into the big leagues but still had so much to learn.”
“Scouts clocked his fastball at 91 mph, which is in line with what his agent, Rick Thurman, had told reporters.” Jesse Sanchez, tweeted “he touched 92” .
Recent article? Nope, it’s from May 6th 2016 ( blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2016/05/06/tim-lincec… ). Sound familiar?
“Look, man, I ain’t fallin’ for no banana in my tailpipe!”
Lol
Damn…..
Lincecum was seemingly overthrowing in 2016 with little control. His fastball was reported to be touching 91 in 2016.
Lincecum was consistent at 91mph with a few at 92mph and potentially touching 93mph with no comments about his control at this throwing session.
You could make the assertion Lincecum is probably 2mph faster than he was in 2016’s throwing session, with more control as he wasn’t overthrowing or at least overthrowing as much as he was. It’s a very big improvement, though 1mph faster would definitely have teams very interested.
He’s not likely to be anything close to what he once was, but he might be serviceable in a mediocre rotation.
Compounding the decision to sign Hosmer by then sitting out next year’s class (even below the Harper/Machado level who are obviously not posing for the Padres) is the baseball equivalent of doubling down on a six.
The Hosmer rumor sounds like a Boras influenced “Padres personnel” leak lol
Siegrist a former Cardinal. My bet he will be a Blue Jay by next week to add to the collection.
The jays do need all the left handed RPs they can get
People need to stop obsessing over WAR. Bottom line is Hosmer is 28 and going to hit you around .290, 25 homers and 30 doubles every year. Add to that he’s a gold glover. Don’t know how he doesn’t deserve a mega deal the same way that every other player gets, especially when so many of those players aren’t as good as him
Translated: “I like Hosmer a lot, so stop looking at stats that might make you not like him as much as I do.”
Although I do agree war is way overused hosmer is streaky and is not a 8/160 type player, although he is 28 he wouldn’t be a free agent till 2025 at age 36 and that’s a long time for a small market club to have 20m+ on the playrole.
It’s disrespectful that he hasn’t signed yet, the fact that the offer on the table isn’t good enough for him means that both sides should go a different way.
The Padres look like the desperate girl who wants to be in a relationship so bad that she chooses the first guy that becomes available, regardless of his past flaws. Have a deadline to pull the offer off the table, if anything as a respect factor to Wil Myers so he can mentally prepare for what position he will be playing this year.
In addition, Myers seems to me like the type of player who needs zero distractions and to go into Spring Training knowing 100% what position he will play.
Or he’s gonna hit 265 with 18 homers, and below average defense.
Gee, Frank, did you do dumb things as a kid just cuz your friends did?
Just because owners and GMs have handed out stoopid deals in the past doesn’t mean that they should continue to do so.
And just because they’ve been stoopid doesn’t mean the players deserve anything.
Deserve has nothing to do with it.
Preller needs to start knocking $200,000 off his offer to Hosmer for every hour that he doesn’t sign
Agreed. This is getting ridiculous. I threw up a bit in my mouth on the “fallen in love” line. As a Pads fan, praying a new buyer is willing to somehow outbid everyone. Don’t see it happening though.
100% true. There needs to be a deadline, if Hosmer truly wanted to be in San Diego he would have already signed by now, or atleast advised Boras to wrap it up because SD is where he wants to be.
The longer it plays out, the more the organization should start scratching their heads. No team should be elated at the fact that you’ve offered the largest contract in your franchises history and the guy you offered it to is going uhhhh, yeah, hmmmm, ahhhh, let me think about it. Nooooo bro, you are an average first baseman who everyone is doubting. Sign the freaking contract and report to spring training, 7/140 is plenty for a player like him.
Yeah especially since Spring Training is now starting up, there is no need for this go on any longer than it already has. Ryan’s got the right idea, but unfortunately, the fact that they have “fallen in love” with him makes it seem more like they’ll add $200,000 to the contract for every hour he doesn’t sign just to get him to commit.
At this point, if Hosmer doesn’t want what’s being offered, then the Padres should just move on.
TWCR, Preller needs to listen to Dave Cameron and pull the deal period.
Would not upset me to see that happen.
If the deal is for a lot of $ and years, the Padres will significantly regret this signing in a few years.
Cmon Os