Tim Lincecum, Seattle Mariners Marriage Makes Too Much Sense

Reports have surfaced that former National League Cy Young Award Winner Tim Lincecum is ready to make a second comeback attempt. Lincecum will likely have several suitors, but the Seattle Mariners seems like a logical destination.

Reports of Lincecum’s interest surfaced after the following picture was released by the Driveline Training Facility Twitter account:

So what makes the Mariners a good choice for the former Cy Young winner to consider? There are a number of reasons, so lets break down a few of them.

The Location

The most obvious connection between Lincecum and the Mariners is the proximity to his home. Born in Bellevue, Lincecum pitched for Liberty High School in Renton, winning the Class 3A State Championship. Lincecum then spent his collegiate career on Montlake, pitching for his home town University of Washington Huskies.

After the Mariners passed on Lincecum in the 2006 MLB Draft, he went on to win back to back Cy Young Awards, 2008 and 2009, and threw 2 no-hitters along the way. Seattle paid the price for passing on the local product, and now have an opportunity for the homecoming they should have set up 11 years ago.

The Opportunity

Unlike many interested teams, the Mariners can actually offer Lincecum something they cannot: a legitimate chance to make the roster out of Spring Training. Seattle has opening’s in both their bullpen and rotation.

General Manager Jerry Dipoto has talked about the possibility of only asking their starters to get 12-18 outs. Lincecum could be that type of starter, and possibly even more.

In addition, if the starters are only going to asked to go through the lineup once or twice, you need multiple relievers who are capable of the same task. Lincecum could also fill that role.

The Wrap Up

Of course, we have no idea if Lincecum has anything left. The slight build of Lincecum may be too much to sustain the success long-term. From 2009-2016, his average fastball velocity dropped from 94 MPH to 88 MPH, and he was ineffective.

However; if he shows anything meaningful at the showcase, there are zero reasons not to take the chance on him. Adding a potential starter or long reliever for next to nothing is always a good thing.

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The Seattle Mariners are going to need pitching. More specifically, they will need pitchers to surprise and surpass their expectations to end their 16 year playoff drought. So why not take the gamble on the former Washington prep star? Why not take a chance on Tim Lincecum?