Tim Lincecum reportedly has a guaranteed contract
Tim Lincecum reportedly has a guaranteed contract for the 2018 season. Lincecum showcased for numerous teams which included his former club, the San Francisco Giants.
Tim Lincecum has a guaranteed contract for the upcoming season (from an MLB team that is not the San Francisco Giants), Grant Brisbee reported on Monday at SB Nation. The former Giants All-Star pitcher showcased for his previous ballclub. However, it is also said that San Francisco passed on signing Lincecum. Some of the clubs that were at Lincecum’s showcase include the San Diego Padres, the Oakland Athletics, the Texas Rangers, and the Los Angels Dodgers.
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The last time Lincecum pitched in the majors was in 2016. He pitched 38.1 innings over nine starts for the Los Angeles Angels. It was a complete disaster. He was worth -0.7 Wins Above Replacement, finished the season with a 9.16 ERA and had the lowest strikeout rate of his career. His 2016 performance was so bad that he did not pitch for a major league club in 2017.
Even more troublesome for Lincecum is declining velocity on almost all of his pitches. Over the years, the 33-year-old has experienced a dramatic drop in speed with his fastball, sinker, and curveball, and a slight decrease in velocity with his split-fastball.
During his showcase, Lincecum reportedly hit 93 mph with his fastball, writes Manny Randhawa of MLB.com. He has not seen that kind of velocity in his pitches since 2007.
Lincecum has many accolades on his resume. He is a three-time World Series champion and has thrown two no-hitters. He boasts a 3.74 ERA over the course of his career. If he truly is back to form, the four-time All-Star would be a great addition to any team looking for starting pitching.