Where will Tim Lincecum land? National sportswriters weigh in

Free agent Tim Lincecum will pitch at a showcase in Arizona on Friday afternoon, with representatives from more than 20 big-league teams expected to watch him in person. At 31, the two-time Cy Young Award winner is hoping to play in the majors this season. He didn’t pitch for the Giants last year after June 27 because of a hip problem.

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“Where I end up is where I’ll end up,” Lincecum said in an interview with Yahoo Sports. “They already have six starters. I’ve got to just look out for me, and if they’re the No. 1 piece in the puzzle when it comes down to decision time, I’ll be excited to go back.”

Here’s how some in the sports media see the Lincecum scenario panning out:

▪ Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Padres could use him: “Word is Lincecum would like a major league deal and a shot to start, and San Diego is in a position to provide both if the four-time All-Star’s arm is indeed up to snuff. They’re already a man sh ort on their 40-man roster and will open up another spot when Erlin moves to the 60-day disabled list. As far as starting opportunities go, the depth the minor league depth that A.J. Preller attempted to create this offseason isn’t exactly bubbly to the surface.”

▪ Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist, thinks Lincecum should put on the Giants uniform again: “It’s still early, but (Matt) Cain and (Jake) Peavy are crushing the Giants’ bullpen. How long can Bruce Bochy stick with them without incurring severe damage to the rest of his staff? The top three starters have been solid, but the Giants need a full rotation. The Giants have to seriously consider what Lincecum could give them. The public pressure is already there. The prevailing public sentiment: Lincecum couldn’t be any worse. And maybe he could be better.”

▪ SI.com’s Jay Jaffe weighs other California homes for Lincecum: “If Lincecum wants to remain in the Bay Area, the A’s would appear to be in need of help, as they just lost Chris Bassitt to a partial UCL tear, with Jesse Hahn replacing him. Among other California teams, the one that stands out as the best potential fit may be the Dodgers—albeit only if he wants to pitch out of the bullpen.”

▪ Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports names the five best landing sports for Lincecum – among them, the Chicago White Sox: “While their first four spots have been fantastic, the fifth spot is now in flux. After posting a 7.25 ERA through four starts, the team DFA’d John Danks on Tuesday. ... With Danks now gone, the team could opt to bring in yet another veteran in hopes of finding a more suitable replacement. Considering they have an extra $13 million to spend after Adam LaRoche’s sudden retirement, money isn’t a big issue right now either.”

▪ The Chicago Sun Times’ Gordon Wittenmyer writes that the Cubs plan to be among the teams at the showcase. David Miniel, co-editor of the Fansided blog Cubbies Crib, writes: “If the Cubs do, however, manage to sign him to a deal, he’ll more than likely end up with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs for a while. Just to get him back into a rhythm. Giants skipper Bruce Bochy has used him as a reliever before, so that’s great news for Joe Maddon. He currently has Clayton Richard, Travis Wood, Trevor Cahill and Adam Warren in the bullpen.”

▪ Scott Gelman of the SB Nation blog Fish Stripes, writes that the Miami Marlins have had “The Freak” on the mind since spring training: “While it appears the Marlins have expressed a fair amount of interest in Lincecum, it is unlikely he opts to join the club if he is truly seeking a starting opportunity. Miami had an open rotation spot after optioning Jarred Cosart to Triple-A, but Justin Nicolino was given an opportunity and has responded to this point.”

▪ The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders writes in response to a mail-bag question of whether the Rockies would give Lincecum a chance: “Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich recently told me the Rockies most likely will not be there. Why? There are a few reasons. One, the Rockies rarely get into bidding wars in these types of situations. Two, Lincecum hates pitching at Coors Field. He’s 6-4 with a 4.52 ERA there in his 14 career starts. ... The third reason the Rockies won’t be there is because they are concentrating on developing their own pitchers, not spending on a veteran trying to make a comeback.”

This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Where will Tim Lincecum land? National sportswriters weigh in."