Report: Former San Francisco Giants star Tim Lincecum nearing deal with Los Angeles Angels
Former San Francisco Giants pitching star Tim Lincecum is nearing a deal that would send him to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Heyman believes the deal could happen as soon as Monday.
sources: 2-time cy young winner tim lincecum is leaning toward the angels. could happen today.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 16, 2016
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirms the strong mutual interest and tweeted that the two sides are “closing in” on a major league deal.
Once it's finalized, Tim Lincecum's contract with the Angels will be a major league deal. Guaranteed dollars still unclear at this point.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 16, 2016
The White Sox and Giants are now out of the mix.
The 31-year-old righty had season-ending hip surgery in Sept. 2015 and spent the offseason recovering from the procedure.
In May, Lincecum held a showcase for teams in Scottsdale, where he topped the radar gun at around 91 miles per hour and displayed “a slider that looked above-average at times, a ‘generally average’ curveball and a more inconsistent slider,” according to MLBTradeRumors.com.
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The Giants were said to be interested in Lincecum but only as a reliever, at least at first. But Lincecum reiterated his desire to start in the big leagues.
Lincecum’s last good season was in 2011, when he went 13-14, with a 2.74 ERA, and 220 strikeouts in 217 innings pitched.
Lincecum was also a strong postseason pitcher, particularly in 2010 and 2012. As both a starter and reliever in the playoffs, he combined for a 2.40 ERA in 13 games pitched.
Perhaps his best postseason start was in Game 1 of the 2010 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. He pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out 14 in a 1-0 win.
Lincecum has thrown two no-hitters in his career, including two against the San Diego Padres–once in 2013 and once in 2014.
Lincecum also won two Cy-Young awards (2008-2009).