The agent for Tim Lincecum insists plenty of teams have inquired about the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner. The exact level of interest will be determined once Lincecum holds his long-awaited audition.
Originally scheduled for mid-January, the showcase has been pushed back a few times to insure that Lincecum is at full strength following hip surgery. It is now slated for sometime before the end of February, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Lincecum’s agent, Rick Thurman of Beverly Hills Sports Council, tells Lin he has talked to the Padres a number of times this offseason, adding that at least 20 clubs have requested medical information on his client.
The Padres would be interested in Lincecum, who has no-hit San Diego on two occasions, as a low-cost alternative at the back of the rotation. Lincecum was 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA over his first eight starts for the Giants last season before posting a 7.53 ERA in his final seven outings.
There has been some talk of the Giants bringing back the 31-year-old Lincecum as a bullpen option, but Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News says it's time for the two sides to part company. “If Lincecum throws well in his showcase, he'll probably be offered a chance at a rotation spot, which the Giants can't and won't offer,” Kawakami writes. “And if Lincecum throws less than well, the Giants obviously won't and shouldn't offer him a roster spot.”
The Orioles’ signing of Yovani Gallardo over the weekend essentially leaves Lincecum as the most notable starter left on the market if the audition goes well. In that scenario, Lincecum could wait for the inevitable injury bug to strike a team this spring, thus enhancing his value.
Here are more rumors making the rounds from Arizona and Florida:
Carl Crawford: Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe claims it would not be a complete shock if the Dodgers cut the cord with the outfielder and ate the remaining $42 million in his contract. Limited to 69 games last season due to injuries, Crawford had a minus-0.1 WAR. “There comes a point of diminishing returns -- and a time to fill his roster spot with a younger, more productive player -- and it seems the Dodgers are getting closer to that point,” Cafardo writes.
Shane Victorino: The Texas Rangers have “looked into” the free-agent outfielder but are willing to offer only a minor league deal at this point, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish. The 35-year-old Victorino had just a .635 OPS over the past two seasons and has been limited to 101 games due to injuries.
Domingo Santana: Brewers manager Craig Counsell made official Sunday what had been rumored for weeks: Ryan Braun will switch this spring from right field to his former position in left field. After trading away left fielder Khris Davis, the Brewers will make room for Santana, who was acquired in July from Houston in the trade for Carlos Gomez. While Santana is slated for right field, Counsell did not rule out trying Santana in center field, where the competition for the starting job is wide open.
Charlie Blackmon: Playing center field at spacious Coors Field can wear down a player, so the Rockies will try to reduce the workload of Blackmon, who played 147 games in the middle outfield position, including 138 starts, last year. Manager Walt Weiss told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post he plans to occasionally use the versatile Gerardo Parra in center in addition to his role as the regular left fielder.
Randy Choate: The Houston Astros have talked to the 40-year-old left-handed specialist who is still looking for work, reports Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. Choate had a 3.95 ERA in 27 1/3 innings last year with St. Louis. The Astros have limited southpaw options in their bullpen once you get past Tony Sipp and view Choate as a possible low-cost option.
St. Louis Cardinals: With Choate no longer in the equation, manager Mike Matheny might open the season with just 11 pitchers on the roster instead of his usual 12, reports Derrick Goold the Post-Dispatch. Choate often faced just one batter, making it necessary to use two or three pitchers in the same inning.
