SF Giants could trade for Tim Lincecum-clone this offseason

The New York Mets recently called up their No. 4 prospect Jonah Tong. The right-handed pitcher allowed just one run in his first start, going five innings and striking out six. More interesting to Giants fans was the way Tong's delivery resembled that of Tim Lincecum, the former Cy-Young Award winner. The 22-year-old apparently models his approach based on Lincecum's delivery.

SF Giants could trade for Tim Lincecum-clone this offseason

With Tong's windup so similar to Lincecum's, Giants fans are taking notice. Could Buster Posey and the Giants front office take notice as well? Posey played with Lincecum from 2009-2015, and could be swayed to trade for Tong because of his similarities to the former four-time All-Star.

Then again, Lincecum's arm seemed to break down at a young age. He fell off a cliff at the age of 28, when most pitchers are still in their prime. Perhaps the Giants will avoid Tong for that reason, taking caution before adding a player whose mechanics closely aligh with Lincecum.

Still, the idea of adding Tong is enticing. Here is a potential package that could get the job done.

The Giants would send Whisenhunt, one of their top pitching prospects, to the Mets in exchange for Tong. Whisenhunt, 24, is at a similar place in his career to Tong, with both in their rookie season. The Mets might be interested in adding a young, controllable left-hander to the rotation that already includes a pair of veteran southpaws.

San Francisco would have to include more than Whisenhunt. They also throw in Marco Luciano, who was once heralded as the future shortstop in San Francisco. The Giants do not appear to have much of a plan for Luciano long-term, so why not trade him before all of his value is gone? The Mets need corner infield depth, with Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna both failing to claim the third base job. Maybe they would be interested in giving Luciano a shot?

Finally, the Giants would give up Bo Davidson, a Double-A outfielder currently ranked as their No. 5 prospect. Davidson has an .864 OPS in two levels of the minor leagues this year, and has a power-speed combo that could be enticing to the Mets. The Giants would likely need to add one more notable piece to the deal, but Whisenhunt and Davidson could get the conversation started.

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