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Oakland Athletics: Would Tim Lincecum Be A Good Fit For A’s?

By Samantha Riley

Mar 3, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum (55) throws in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum (55) throws in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /
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If Tim Lincecum performs well during his showcase, should the Oakland Athletics consider signing this veteran to a contract?

As reported by John Shea of SFGate.com, the Oakland Athletics plan to attend Tim Lincecum’s showcase this upcoming Friday. Like the many other teams that will be attendance, the A’s will be most interested in whether or not Lincecum has been able to overcome his left hip surgery. But, are the A’s seriously considering trying to sign this veteran starting pitcher? Would he even be a good fit for the team?

Ultimately, it may not be a question as to whether or not he would be a good fit. At this point, acquiring Lincecum may be more of a necessity. The Oakland Athletics lacked starting rotation depth at the start of the season and it has only dwindled from there. Felix Doubront underwent Tommy John surgery, Chris Bassitt is currently on the disabled list with a partial ulnar collateral ligament tear, and Jarrod Parker’s pitching future is still very unknown.

At the moment, the A’s have already called up Jesse Hahn and top prospect Sean Manaea to fill spots in the rotation. The only qualified starter left to bring up from the minors is Eric Surkamp. Additionally, 2014 All Star pitcher Henderson Alvarez is suppose to return by the end of May once fully recovered from shoulder surgery. With the rotation’s injury-prone history, the Athletics should be looking to add more depth to the starting rotation.

Lincecum could be that added security the A’s need for the rotation. If Lincecum pitches well at his showcase this week, Oakland should look to sign Lincecum to a minor league deal. There is not much space of the A’s 40-man roster and it would be practical of them to make this a low risk, high reward contract since Lincecum’s ERA has not dipped below 4.00 since 2011.

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If other teams want to offer Lincecum a spot on their active roster or if Lincecum insists on a rotation spot, the Athletics should pass on this two-time NL Cy Young winner. It would be nice to have the additional depth for A’s starting rotation, but it could make more sense to acquire a starter via a trade in July. The Athletics have a surplus of quality position players on their roster as well as many talented prospects in the minors that could easily be traded to boost their starting pitching.

It would be nice to think that the San Francisco’s former ace could hop across the bay and pitch well in green and gold. However, Lincecum’s lack of success over the past few years is a cause for concern. If the Athletics want to sign Lincecum to a contract after seeing him pitch on Friday, they should make sure the deal results in a low risk scenario for the team.