MMO will be looking at multiple bargain options that are still available for the Mets this offseason. With Sandy Alderson reportedly having about $10 million left to spend, the Mets best chance to fill holes will be shopping at the dollar store.
Earlier this offseason, Mets general manager John Ricco let on that the team would be “big players” this offseason, as they looked to fill holes around the diamond.
Fast forward a month and a half later and things have taken a complete 180, in typical Mets fashion. What was once reported that general manager Sandy Alderson would have somewhere between $30-40 million to spend is no longer. Instead, Alderson will have a fraction of that to work with, with the only signing he’s made this offseason being reliever Anthony Swarzak on a two-year, $14 million deal.
Alderson is going to have to get crafty with his limited funds. On Tuesday, my colleague Josh Finkelstein highlighted veteran Brandon Phillips as a bargain option for second base. Today, I am going with “The Freak” Tim Lincecum as a dollar store starting pitcher option.
Starting pitching has been pushed to the side by Sandy Alderson and crew as a need the team has, but with the amount of injuries the team sustained in 2017, coupled with their collective 5.01 ERA (third worst in the MLB) and .273 batting average against (second worst in the MLB), you have to bring in some reinforcements as to learn from history.
Recently, it was announced that 33-year-old Tim Lincecum would be attempting a comeback to the MLB.
He last pitched in the majors with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016, registering a 2-6 record with a 9.16 ERA, 7.16 FIP and 2.374 WHIP across nine starts (38.1 innings pitched).
His last full season came back in 2015, when he appeared in 33 games (26 started) for the San Francisco Giants. However, at one point, Lincecum was one of the top tier arms in the game, earning four-straight All-Star nods from 2008-11.
In ’08 and ’09, the right-hander led the league in fWAR and had a filthy 100 MPH caliber fastball. His downfall came after the 2011 season, when he suffered from a loss in velocity and logged a 5.18 ERA the following season.
However, he has reportedly been working out at Driveline Baseball, a data-driven baseball training program based in Seattle, Washington, which focuses on development of velocity and command for pitchers. Driveline has a reputation of assisting pitchers in adding velocity. Lincecum is their latest client.
At the very least, it’s worth taking a flyer on Lincecum. He’s still just 33 (which is shocking to me), and maybe the team catches lightning in a bottle. I’d bring in a bunch of guys like him to Spring Training and hope some have strong showings to lengthen our rotation and give us reinforcements in case of injury again.
Plus, he will likely latch on somewhere on a minor league deal. The Mets are no way going to sign Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta (or even Lance Lynn for that matter), so Lincecum is a guy I think they look at that fits into their limited spending range.
