MLB: Five Potential Landing Spots For Tim Lincecum
By Gavin Lee
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
If you want to rebuild value as a MLB pitcher, you have to consider the Pittsburgh Pirates. Legendary pitching coach Ray Searage has worked wonders with reclamation projects in the past, and catcher Francisco Cervelli has long been regarded as an excellent pitch framer and game caller. Players like J.A. Happ, Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett and Edinson Volquez have all gone through the system and either turned their careers around or found new life as they enter their 30s.
Pittsburgh happens to also find themselves near the bottom of all the starting pitching rankings, down at 23rd in the league with a 4.53 FIP. Jon Niese has been terrible this season after coming over from the Mets in the offseason trade of Neil Walker, and though the Pirates have Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow in the pipeline, they would surely like to keep their clocks from churning along this season. If Lincecum can be effective in the short-term, the Pirates can look to contend again this year. Even with their bad pitching start they are 15-13 heading into Friday’s games.
Lincecum would have a familiar face in Pittsburgh, as former Giant Ryan Vogelsong is the Pirates swing man this season. He and Lincecum won world championships together in both 2012 and 2014, actually pitching in the same game against the Tigers in the 2012 series.
Lincecum hasn’t pitched very well in his 5 starts at PNC, but knows the Pirates’ main rivals very well. He’s pitched to a 10-6 record against the Cubs and Cardinals in his career, striking out 145 batters in just 137 innings. If he goes to the NL Central he has a shot to be back in the postseason and chase down his 4th career ring.
Next: Number 3