Lincecum back? Righty hits 93 mph for scouts
Source expects two-time Cy Young Award winner to be signed
Timothy Lincecum's attempt at a Major League comeback took a huge step forward Thursday when the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner held a showcase outside of Seattle.
According to a source who watched Lincecum throw, the 33-year-old right-hander should find himself in a big league camp in the near future.
"I think he'll definitely get a job, there's no doubt about that," the source said. "At this time of the year, it's probably a Minor League contract with an invitation [to Spring Training], but he'll get signed."
Lincecum hasn't pitched in the Majors since August 2016, when he made the last of his nine starts with the Angels. Lincecum spent the first nine years of his career with the Giants, winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2008 and '09 and helping San Francisco to World Series titles in 2010, '12 and '14.
The source said there was no sign of the hip injury that had hampered Lincecum over the past few years, noting that Lincecum looked "ripped" as he threw in a tank top that showed off his physique.
"He doesn't have an ounce of fat on him," the source said.
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According to the source, about 20 scouts were on hand, representing approximately 15 teams.
Lincecum threw about 25 pitches -- all out of the windup -- in the 10-minute session, which took place at the Driveline Baseball facility in Kent, Wash. Lincecum has been working out there as he works toward a comeback.
The source said Lincecum's fastball clocked in between 90-92 mph, though others at the showcase had him as high as 93. His fastball averaged 88.4 mph in 2016, a far cry from the mid-90s heater he featured when he was among the best pitchers in the game.
"He was probably a little better than I expected him to be," the source said. "The first ball he threw, he threw it as hard as he could. Every single pitch was at max effort. You could imagine with the adrenaline of a real game, his velocity might be even higher."
Unlike many showcases of this manner, Lincecum didn't work at all out of the stretch, throw a simulated inning or face any hitters. He got warmed up -- an elaborate process that included a lot of stretching and throwing weighted balls -- before stepping on the mound and throwing to a catcher.
Lincecum didn't meet with any scouts or team representatives before or after the session, the source said.
It's unclear whether interested teams are viewing Lincecum as a starter or reliever, though the source noted that he "took quite a while" to get warmed up.