Report: Lincecum a 'long shot' to return to Giants, but other teams interested
Since winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, Tim Lincecum has seen a steady drop in production.
After spending his entire major-league career with the San Francisco Giants, the righty appears to be a "long shot" to return to the team general manager Brian Sabean said, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News on Friday. Lincecum has expressed a desire to remain a starting pitcher, but the Giants are only willing to offer him a relief role.
With spring training on the horizon, Lincecum plans to have a throwing session in Tempe, Ariz., to showcase his talents as he tries to land with another MLB club as a free-agent signee. Despite the disagreement on a new role should he re-sign with San Francisco, the Giants still plan to send a representative to view his session.
While Lincecum's numbers have steadily dropped over the years, several clubs are reportedly showing interest in the 31-year-old pitcher. The Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers are among teams reportedly interested.
In 2015, Lincecum started and appeared in 15 games, going 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA. His last season to have an ERA under 4.00 was in 2011, his fourth consecutive campaign as an All-Star. He posted a 2.74 ERA that season.
