MLB News 2016: Tim Lincecum Reportedly Had Successful Talks with Los Angeles Angels
Three-time world series champion Tim Lincecum may be bidding goodbye to free agency soon as reports have floated about him closing in on a deal with the Los Angeles Angles.
According to ESPN, the 31-year old starting pitcher last played for the San Francisco Giants from 2007-2015, where he also won the Babe Ruth award in the process, back in 2010. He is also a four-time All-Star from 2008-2011.
In a report by Jeff Passan for Yahoo! Sports, Lincecum has yet to finalize the deal with the Angels, but sources had revealed that they are expecting for it to be at least a one-year contract. Currently recovering from hip surgery, Lincecum is likely to first play a few games as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues before joining the Angels' roster.
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Passan's report adds that two other teams have shown interest in acquiring Lincecum, including his former team the Giants, and the Chicago White Sox. As far as his physical condition goes, Lincecum says he has been doing better, despite the instability on his hip on some days.
"Some days my hip would bite at me. Some days it would be fine," Lincecum says, adding he had a far worse condition before surgery when he was unable to move with efficiency.
Lincecum's signing with the Angels has its pros and cons, as pointed out by David Schoenfield of ESPN. According to his report, one advantage would be that Lincecum could provide the immediate solution for the Angels' roster issues as the team has been plagued with injuries and other issues, as of late.
Lincecum could easily fill the void left by the struggling Matt Shoemaker and Jered Weaver, and the spot that would be open in the absence of Garrett Richards, who was deemed out of the season due to a torn ligament in his right elbow, his pitching elbow.
Schoenfield, however, also pointed out that while he may be able to be an effective reliever for Shoemaker, his presence may not be that much help, in terms of the team's playoff aspirations.
The report brought up how his performance dropped from 2009 to 2011, where his strikeout rate dropped from 26.4 percent to 21.6 percent.
