MLB News: Tim Lincecum Hoping To Showcase For Teams In February

Two-time winner of the Cy Young award and nine-year veteran Tim Lincecum is hoping to throw for teams this February in hopes of securing a contract for 2016, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

A report from Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports this past November stated that Lincecum — who is coming off hip surgery — would host a showcase in January. The showcase has obviously been moved up but the reasons for it are unknown at this time. Despite that, reports out of Lincecum’s camp are encouraging.

“He’s throwing every day and says he’s doing great,” Lincecum’s agent, Rick Thurman, tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle . “He’s got no instability in his hip, and he’s enthusiastic about his progress.”

Lincecum, 31, was in the midst of his best campaign in four years last season before going under the knife. In 15 starts for the 2015 Giants, Lincecum went 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA in 76 1/3 innings. While those numbers don’t stand out, they’re an improvement over Lincecum’s cumulative totals from 2012-2015.

In 615 2/3 innings over that four year stretch, “The Freak” has pitched to 4.68 ERA while going 39-42. As MLB Trade Rumors notes, Lincecum’s production over that span is consistent with that of a league average starter.

Even through the tough years, Lincecum remained a team and fan favorite in San Francisco. Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy expressed his high opinion of Lincecum to the San Francisco Chronicle this past September.

“My door will always be open for Tim Lincecum. That’s how much I think of him. That’s a decision that’s made on the baseball side, obviously with everybody. I appreciate what he’s done and the time I’ve had to this point with him. It doesn’t mean that won’t continue. I can’t answer that right now.”

During Lincecum’s peak as one of MLB’s premier starters from 2008-2011, he went 62-36 with a 2.81 ERA through 881 1/3 innings. That four-year stretch earned Lincecum four All-Star game nods, two Cy Young Awards, and one World Series championship.

However, the small-statured Lincecum started losing velocity on his fastball, therefore, he begun having a tough time getting batters out. According to FanGraphs, Lincecum’s once elite average fastball velocity dipped from 92.2 mph in 2011 to 87.5 mph in 2015. Lincecum’s K/9 rate fell victim to his diminished velocity, going from a once league-leading 10.5 in 2008 t0 a career worst of 7.1 in 2015.

Surprisingly, none of Lincecum’s struggles were connected to injuries as last season was the first time he was ever placed on the disabled list. The hip injury, which “involved shaving bone matter to relieve an impingement and repairing a torn labrum,” was expected to sideline the right-hander for five months.

“Tim’s doing great,” physical therapist Brad Schoenthaler told the SF Chronicle. Schoenthaler has been working with Lincecum at Sports Rehab Consulting in Arizona. “He looks really strong. His hip pain and compensation patterns have cleared up. Everything’s coming back a lot quicker than we expected.”

The hope is that Lincecum’s hip surgery can bring him back to his previous, Cy Young caliber form. Lincecum hasn’t thrown 200-plus innings since 2011 and is likely looking at a one-year, incentive-laden deal to re-establish his value.

Teams such as the Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and others could have varying degrees of interest in the three-time World Series champion. However, despite the Giants having a full rotation which includes offseason signees Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, the team is still keeping tabs on Lincecum.

“Timmy has been such a big part of our fabric and success,” Giants’ general manager Bobby Evans told the SF Chronicle . “It’s important we do our due diligence. Of course, we’re going to keep in touch with Tim Lincecum.”

Lincecum boasts a career 108-83 record with a 3.61 ERA through 1,643 2/3 innings.