Reports started to surface yesterday that former 2-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum is gearing up for an MLB comeback. These reports were later confirmed on Twitter later in the day.
FOR RELEASE:
Yes, this is Tim Lincecum at @DrivelineBB.
Yes, Adam Ottavino took the picture while training here.
Yes, Tim will throw for teams at a showcase in the near future.
No, I have no other information for you.Send all communication to kyle@drivelinebaseball.com. pic.twitter.com/0N0cXHVUq8
— KyleB @ Driveline (@drivelinebases) December 19, 2017
As the tweet says, there is not a lot of specific information to go off of right now, but it is an intriguing scenario. The White Sox still need a back end starter and some much needed bullpen help after doing nothing at the Winter Meetings. For Lincecum to show he is ready to return, he will have to show plus velocity and a hammer of a curveball that helped him dominate in the MLB. Even if he does do that, it is doubtful that Lincecum will receive anything more than a one year deal worth a couple million dollars. If he shows some promise during his showcase, it could be a low-risk, high-reward for any team.
Don Cooper is known for getting the most out of his pitchers regardless of their talent level or past injury history. Lincecum could be yet another project for one of the best pitching coaches in baseball.
If Lincecum is healthy and flashing his potential, he can wind up being a steal for the White Sox should they take a chance on him. If they sign him and he is flat-out bad, they can just release him. There is also the possibility of flipping him at the deadline depending on where the White Sox are sitting in the standings and how well Lincecum is throwing.
I’m not saying Rick Hahn and the White Sox are for sure going to sign Lincecum. Hell, there’s a chance no team signs him. It is likely that he’ll most likely get a Spring Training invite from some teams and a contract would come later. Pair together his history of dominance and the fact that he will be cheap, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to see The Freak pitch in the MLB again. Perhaps on the South Side of Chicago.
