4. Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Not long ago, Tim Lincecum hitting free agency would have been a huge deal. Consecutive Cy Young awards in 2008 and 2009 made him one of the most feared pitchers in baseball. Since 2012, he hasn’t been the same.
Over the last three seasons, Lincecum has a 4.76 ERA. His innings pitched and strikeouts are down while his WHIP and home runs allowed are up. With other options available as starting pitchers for the San Francisco Giants in 2014, Lincecum was eventually moved to the bullpen.
After falling out of favor with the Giants, “The Freak” is going to need to find a team willing to take a risk on him for the 2016 season and possibly beyond. One alternative teams may consider is trying Lincecum out as a closer. Because Lincecum still does have dominant starts on occasion, it might be worth the experiment.