After his second pitching showcase earlier this month, Tim Lincecum is expected to sign sometime in the near future between “two or three teams”; including the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers, per FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman.
According to Heyman, the Dodgers have ‘very strong interest’ in Lincecum, and are willing to hand the 33-year-old right-hander a major league contract.
Coming off their National League championship and first World Series appearance since 1988, the Dodgers are Lincecum’s best chance of joining a contending team. Although it’s unlikely the Rangers will see themselves playing this October, Licecum has a better chance of joining their starting rotation than the one in Los Angeles.
Lincecum threw 25 pitches out of the windup in a 10-minute session on February 15 and his fastball clocked in between 90-92 mph, with others saying it even touched 93. Licecum’s velocity in his first pitching showcase in 2016 hovered between 90-91 mph, but it was enough for him to receive a major league contract from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Angels signed Lincecum, who pitched phenomenally in Anaheim his debut, but was eventually demoted to the minor leagues after his ERA soared to 9.16 and his record dropped to 2-6. His last appearance on a major league mound came on August 5, 2016, where he received the loss after surrendering nine hits and six runs to the Seattle Mariners.
Lincecum’s best stretch came during his nine-year stint with the San Francisco Giants from 2007-2015, during which time he won two World Series championships, received back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2008 and 2009, and pitched two no-hitters, both against the San Diego Padres.