Right-hander Tim Lincecum will audition for Major League teams next Thursday (Feb. 15), Kyle Boddy of Driveline Baseball announced today (on Twitter). The two-time NL Cy Young winner has been working out with Driveline this offseason in an effort to revitalize his career.
Rockies right-hander Adam Ottavino, another Driveline client, shared a photo of Lincecum on Instagram back in December in which Lincecum looked to be in excellent physical condition. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweeted at the time that Lincecum’s velocity was up, and Boddy noted then that Lincecum would eventually host a showcase for MLB clubs before Opening Day.
In Lincecum’s last run through MLB, he logged a 9.16 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 5.4 BB/9 and a staggering 2.58 HR/9 through 38 1/3 innings with the Halos. His average fastball in that time was just 87.7 mph — nearly seven full miles per hour off he 94.2 mph that he averaged as a 23-year-old rookie one decade ago.
Those unsightly results notwithstanding, Lincecum should still at least pique the interest of clubs, and it stands to reason that plenty of scouts will be in attendance to see if he shows enough to merit consideration. Presumably, Lincecum is looking at a minor league contract and an invite to Major League Spring Training if a team ultimately does make an offer.
It’s been quite some time since Lincecum, who’ll turn 34 in June, has been much of a contributor at the big league level, of course. The once-premium velocity “The Freak” displayed early in his career wilted as he entered his late 20s, falling to an average of just over 90 mph in 2012-13. Lincecum underwent hip surgery late in the 2015 season and has only appeared sparingly in the Majors since that time. His most recent season as an elite starter came back in 2011 when he tossed 217 innings of 2.47 ERA ball for the Giants, but he’s posted just a 4.94 ERA in 654 Major League innings since that time.
Roger Clemens would be better pick up right now then Lincecum..non story
Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan!
You’ve seen him throw lately? You know more about the work he’s done the past couple of years?
Don’t need to, he gave up a homerun every 3 innings last year
Is he in the best shape,of his,life?
“I’m Russell Martin, and I approve this message.”
I boldly predict the Angels won’t be one of those teams.
This must be what’s holding up Darvish.
needed the laugh, thank you!
Now that’s funny.
Downvoting this is immoral.
Bullpen arm hoping to be Brandon morrow?
If he’s willing to sign a split contract at MLB minimum, the way this offseason is going he’s going to show up on a major league mound sooner or later.
Didn’t he already try this last year? Or am I thinking of someone else?
Nope. You are spot on. Maybe Timmy’s agent made a donation to MLBTraderumors. A story would be any team at all inviting him to camp. Mymy
Mymy is a typo
Have you seen him pitch recently? Do you know what he has? Are you a pitching guru?
Dude, Timmy Jim was my hero… my delivery was almost exactly like his. I loved the guy…. but he’s done. We all know it. We all saw it. Then we saw a comeback a few years later that confirmed he is done for the 10 or 11 reasonable people left that still actually thought he had anything left.
He hasn’t attempted a comeback yet. Why don’t let him attempt a comeback first. If your delivery was, “almost”, like his, who did you pitch for?
Tim Lincecum’s agent, or mom, obviously.
Did you sleep though 2016?
I couldn’t watch his Angel’s starts. But in his 2015, he was great his first time through the lineup. After that, he wore down. He probably hadn’t fully recovered from hip surgery in 2016. Since then, he has bulked up. Hopefully added some endurance. It would be great to seem him be able to pitch again. It would be good for baseball.
His Angels stint was his comeback. I’m the last couple of years in San Fran he was not himself. He was done. Hardly used at the end.
What the hell does me having the same delivery have to do with me not making it to the majors? I got hurt. That doesn’t change the fact that the guy was my hero. There aren’t many people that would be more apt to want him to be successful. I’m not bashing him, I’m being realistic.
He did a couple years ago, signed with the Angels, and was really, really bad.
9.81 era in 38 inning is the “I have no clue it is over phase.”
You’re thinking of someone else. He’s been missing for the past couple of years.
He tried with the Angels in 2016 and again last year. Try googling him and you don’t have to be a “pitching guru” to type…
He signed with the Angels after the Giants cut him. Since he last tried out, he has bulked up, added a lot of strength, which was his problem. He would wear out the second time through the lineup. As Omar Vizquel said, he is a small guy. He could have added strength and endurance he needs.
Yeah, he was definitely worn out in thaaa first inning when his was hitting 88 with his fastball… “bulking up” aside, unless he’s back up to 94 (he’s not) then he’s a homer prone scrub with injury risk
No he’s not. It was widely reported last year that he was trying out for teams too. He couldn’t latch on with anyone.
He’s going to be a giant again
Marlins will snag him up in their drive to be the worst team in 2018.
If he signs a cheap minor league deal as a reliever I am ok with it, he in all honesty could be better than a lot of the bullpen options in the SF system, the pen should be better than last year if there is a healthy Smith and melancon but beyond that there is zero consistency
When I saw the headline, I knew I’d find this comment. Like Wolf Chan said, a minor league deal as a reliever isn’t much of a risk for the Giants. They brought back Blanco on a minor league pact already. Might as well, damn. Fans still love Timmy in SF.
The Orioles need pitching………..snicker
If he swallows his pride and accepts the only way he has possible at a Major League job is as a lefty specialist out of the pen, he has a chance. He thinks that role is below him though.
You’ve talked to him? You know about his make up.
I talked to him, he doesn’t feel that his 53 mph fastball from the left side will cut it in the show.
So, you are clueless
I think the rest of us here in the sandbox knows more about sand than you do. Wanna play some dodgeball, dork?
Sure. When and where?
you don’t seem very polite
Are you saying I have rollover and kowtow to everybody? Let’s see the pitch first before making judgements about him. Is that so wrong?
Cheer up buttercup! No need to such a sour puss
I didn’t make any judgments against him. I hope he succeeds. All I said is he wasn’t going to do it as a lefty reliever.
I apologize. It was the first guy in this thread that got me on my tangent. I get irritated when people are so negative.
Gave you a like just bcuz your name.
You call him a dork and he is not the polite one? Lol
I’d call myself a dork.
Would probably be hard to start throwing left handed at this point
Are you temping at his agency?
I mean, that’s a lot to ask of a guy, making him switch from right handed to left
Ha that is what I was going to say!
Huh? Lefty specialist? You’re advocating he switches his throwing arm?
Marlins? Jeter likes bargain-basement players.
Idk if anyone read the article that mentioned bartolo getting stem cells pumped into his elbow/shoulder and getting his fastball up to 95 again in 2011…. How you gonna doubt the freak? What happened last time we doubted a freak?
This could be a good try if he is impressive for a team like the the twins or marlins
I hope he does well
me too, good story and good for the game.
I generally feel that way when I see a player working hard to get back in the game. I echo your sentiments, CompanyAssassin.
Chunichi Dragons
Breaking news. He hired Scott Boras and is asking for 7/150
He defied all the naysayers to achieve an incredibly high peak. They said his delivery wasn’t repeatable. They said his frame was too slight. He earned two Cy Young awards. I doubt that a few internet comments are going to deter him from trying at this point.
His delivery wasn’t repeatable. That’s why he was only an effective starter for four seasons.
4 years kinda means is delivery is repeatable.
His delivery was totally repeatable, the issue was that his fastball lost velocity quick, once the speed on it dropped his change was less effective and guys started squaring him up, if he can raise the velocity or add some pitches to get off the fastball/slider, maybe work more on the cut/curve that he would drop from time to time then he could be more effective, either that or he could go late inning reliever to limit pitches
His velocity dropped because his delivery wasn’t repeatable for more than a couple of years as a starter and his hip gave out. When he was a dominant pitcher, no one was saying that he was going to break down on a moment’s notice. It was always a question of how soon he was going to start deteriorating. It’s not possible for -anyone- to pitch like he did and be able to compete as a starter for half a decade or more. It’s just too much stress on the legs and hips. His comebacks were unsuccessful because he had made changes to his delivery that wouldn’t destroy his body, but without his momentum/torque-heavy delivery, he just didn’t have the power to put behind his fastball or on top of his breaking pitches.
I truly hope he can make a successful comeback, but it’s highly unlikely.
This is first attempt at a comeback. He has done a lot of work to build up strength and endurance. This is his first attempt at a comeback.
I think that scouts thought his delivery wouldn’t hold up over the long term, especially on his frame, and they were right. But he was a dominant pitcher for four years and almost any team would take that.
Having watched his last attempt in the minors, I can only say; dude, stay home if you figured it out yet!
He would actually look good for about 3 inning and then fall apart. If he’s willing to go to the pen he should be able to make it back to the majors fairly quick. If he keeps insisting on starting tho… well retirement is likely the outcome
I saw the same thing when he was with the Giants. Great for 3 innings, then he would start to wear. He is a small guy. Hopefully his bulking up will give him more endurance.
I want to see him become a knuckleball pitcher.
That’s Wilson, he has been trying to go the knuckle route
Doesn’t this happen every single year with these guy? Ass with the angels ass now
Hey Timmy if you really want to learn how to bulk up.Hang out with Bartolo in spring training .He’s knows all the great places to gain weight Lol
He’s a West Coast guy, could see him signing with Padres
No.
I don’t care for the mocking and negativity in this thread. He was so much fun to watch during his peak. I’m not even a Giants fan. I much prefer the Rangers, and watching him destroy them in WS was just amazing.
He may have nothing left, but we’ll see. I hope he’s willing to move to the pen. He could be a legit one inning reliever.
Is this your first time in the comment sections here?
Looks like he worked his ass off to get another shot. Let’s see what he has. So easy to hate when all you have to say it to is a keyboard.
I would like to see Seattle sign him to work out of the pen. Would be perfect he could play his last year or so for the team that should have drafted him if they weren’t idiots. Play for the team he grew up rooting for. It would just be a good story all around if he had a good season or two with them.
I say the Rangers will pick him up, just look what pitchers they have already signed. So I see the Rangers as a landing spot for him.
This has Dan Duquette written all over it.
He’s a perfect fit for Milwaukee. 3 #4s and and #2 pitcher. Lincecum would be their #3 immediately. No chance of winning.
He’d be better off going to the giants and retiring.
Awesome. He will probably want a 7 year deal like everyone else.
1 year at base salary to start with with an invite to spring training. Add in a release clause if he don’t make the mlb team outta spring training. Sounds like a good plan
He could make the DET team. He needs to develop more pitches instead of just pitching as he did ten years ago.
I can easily see the Royals bringing him in, to fill out a bullpen or 5 role.
Many pitchers have come back to be useful contributors after sinking as far as he has. It’s not likely. Neither is it crazy.
Baseball would be boring if crazy s#!t didn’t happen.
Although perhaps he can room with Dontrelle Willis.
It seems strange to me how many people are adamant Tim Lincecum is washed up and has no value, yet have been interested enough to read an article about him and comment about how he obviously has no value.
Lincecum isn’t likely to return to anything close to his elite form. I think almost everybody agrees on that. We also know he isn’t effective when his fastball sits in the upper 80s, and that’s hardly surprising considering virtually no pitchers can be successful at that velocity.
Passan reported Lincecum’s velocity is improved, but there weren’t any specifics to the best of my knowledge. Is he throwing 88, 90, 92 or 94? Those would all be “improvements” from where he was at the end of his quick stint with the Angels.
Lincecum’s going to generate some interest if his velocity is over 90. If it’s south of 90, I doubt anybody even takes a MiLB chance on him. Anything over 92, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t get multiple “prove it” contracts at the MLB minimum with significant performance bonus targets.
We’ll have to wait to see what’s reported about his velocity after his throwing session and it’s pointless to debate how much of an impact he might make before nobody knows how he looks on the mound.