New York Yankees Rumors: Tim Lincecum Remains A Possibility To Join The Yankees’ Rotation

With the 2016 MLB season a little over a month away, rumors are heating up regarding the New York Yankees and what their final roster will look like. After an especially quiet offseason, where the team failed to sign any premier free agents, the Yankees are heading into the season with some question marks. While former San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum has been declining over the past few seasons, the Yankees could potentially bring him in as a piece to their questionable rotation.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, CC Sabathia finally appears to be healthy. While injuries and alcohol addiction have been cited as the reasons for Sabathia’s decline in recent seasons, he is still going to have to prove that he can pitch at an elite level if the Yankees have any hopes of contending for a championship. In addition to Sabathia, there are also question marks with starting pitchers Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda. While both pitchers, especially Tanaka, have proven they are capable of pitching at elite levels, injuries have slowed both of them down in the past.

In a perfect world, Tanaka, Sabathia, and Pineda would form one of the best one-two-three punches in the league. Can any of them really be trusted at this point, though? Even with Tanaka’s injury last season, he still finished the year with a solid ERA of 3.51. In all likelihood, he will be back to full strength and match his 2014 numbers. Unfortunately, Sabathia and Pineda are much harder to trust. While Pineda is still young, his 4.37 ERA last year was mediocre at best. Sabathia has “appeared” healthy in the beginning of the season in past years, so he is going to have to prove that this year is somehow different before he can be trusted as a reliable option.

While he is another question mark, the Yankees are interested in Tim Lincecum. At 31-years-old, he is not exactly an old pitcher, but he is no spring chicken. In his time with the Giants, Lincecum was always used as a workhorse. In addition to throwing a ton of innings every single year, his awkward throwing motion has always been an injury concern. While Lincecum claims that the concerns about his throwing motion are overstated, many doctors and sports scientists believe it to be a problem.

NY Yankees: "Yanks Have AL East Competition For Lincecum" #NYY https://t.co/uQ6fe33uIa

— BXBomber27 (43-20-10) (42-33) #9 (@sttouponse) February 6, 2016

Regardless, Lincecum has had a ton of success with his unique throwing style in the past, and he is another pitcher that is claiming to finally be healthy. It is a concern that the Giants are allowing him to sign with another team without a fight, but a parting could be mutual for both parties at this point.

While Lincecum’s original tryout—scheduled for early February—has been pushed back, it is going to happen this month. According to Bleacher Report, he is pretty much a wild card at this point.

“He’s a wild card. It’s a matter of how his arm feels. I think he’s a good risk because he’s a competitor and he’s a great athlete. It’s all about the money with him. If he wants to prove himself, he’s a one-year deal only for me, and see how he does. He might end up making himself money if he does well. Starting depth or long reliever, a bullpen piece, that’s what you’re looking at him as. He might surprise.”

In a best-case scenario, the Yankees could get an elite pitcher with a ton of playoff experience. In a worst-case scenario, the Yankees pay Lincecum $10 million and he pitches poorly. In all likelihood, Lincecum will probably fall somewhere in the middle. He will not be the top of the rotation starter that he once was, but he could be a piece to an already solid rotation.

According to the San Diego Tribune, as many as 20 other teams have requested Lincecum’s medical information. While the majority of MLB teams are interested in Lincecum, it is going to come down to how well he throws in his upcoming showcase. If he looks like his old self, the Yankees may wish to pass on Lincecum and go with a cheaper option. If he looks average, the Yankees could sign him cheap or bring him in for a minor-league deal. While Lincecum wants a starting job on an MLB team, he really may have to settle for a deal in the minors to start the season.

With the New York Yankees’ questionable rotation, rumors are going to continue to swirl regarding the possibility that the team signs Tim Lincecum. Not much will be known until Lincecum actually pitches his showcase, but the Yankees will be in attendance.

[Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images]