Tim Lincecum Looking for Short-Term Deal

Only two years away from free agency, Tim Lincecum’s future with the San Francisco Giants has understandably received some significant attention of late.  Lincecum shed some light on the situation today, indicating that, if it were up to him, he’d continue signing one or two-year deals rather than locking himself into a long-term contract.

What a Freak-y thing to say…

But before you judge Lincecum, he would appreciate it if you’d hear him out.  Lincecum’s reasoning for preferring short-term deals is that he doesn’t know how he’s “going to feel five years from now, or three years” even.  Instead, he’d like to take things “step by step” as he’s been doing.

Lincecum also states that it’s easier mentally not to put the kind of pressure on himself that a large multi-year contract brings.  Lincecum thinks that going season-to-season will also provide him with added motivation to improve on a yearly basis.

Lincecum’s two-year $23 million contract that he signed before the 2010 season is set to expire, and the 27-year-old said he would be open to signing something similar under the right circumstances.

Through all of his comments, Lincecum never mentioned dissatisfaction with the Giants as a reason for his unordinary negotiation tactics.  When asked if his ridiculous lack of run support plays a factor in his future decisions, Lincecum indicated it will not.

The only time I’ve seen someone actually asking for a short-term deal is when the player either doesn’t like where he’s at or wants to increase his value for a bigger and longer deal down the road.

If we take Lincecum at his word, he doesn’t fall into either of these categories.  At this point, the Freak’s value has nowhere to go but down.

The left-hander has already won two National League Cy Young awards.  He’s got a ring.  He’s got a career sub 3 ERA.  He’s logged over 210 innings a year since 2008.

Did I mention he was 27?

So maybe Lincecum is just being honest.  After all, he is a west coast guy, this type of response does fit in with a surfer-dude attitude.

There’s also a chance he’s spoken with teammate Barry Zito about the prospects of a big deal.

From a purely financial standpoint, Zito’s done pretty alright since signing his mega-deal.  But, the veteran’s struggles have certainly caused him some issues behind the scenes.

Whatever the case, one thing is now known, Lincecum prefers short-term deals.  It is yet to be determined what the Giants will do with this information, but Lincecum said he will keep an open-mind if and more likely when San Francisco approaches him this offseason.

For more on the Giants, be sure to check out Frisco Fastball.