The Giants and Tim Lincecum have agreed to a two-year, $40.5MM contract extension, avoiding arbitration with the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The contract became official once Lincecum passed his physical with the team.
The two-year deal buys out Lincecum's final two seasons of arbitration eligibility and avoids a potentially historic hearing. The right-hander will earn $18MM in 2012 and $22MM in 2013 to go along with a $500K signing bonus. The deal includes a limited no-trade clause that allows Lincecum to select a certain number of teams to which he can block a trade. Both sides remain open to discussing a longer term contract in the near future.
Lincecum, a Beverly Hills Sports Council client, filed for a $21.5MM salary through arbitration and the Giants countered at $17MM, as MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows. Both figures set new records for players with less than six years of service time. Derek Jeter ($18.5MM) and the Yankees ($14.25MM) had established the previous marks more than a decade ago, in 2001.
Lincecum, 27, has a 2.98 ERA with 9.9 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 47.1% ground ball rate in 1028 career innings. He already has two Cy Young Awards and four All-Star Game selections to his name. Only four pitchers – Roy Halladay, C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander and Dan Haren – have produced more wins above replacement since 2007, Lincecum's rookie season.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report that an agreement had been reached, with Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reporting earlier on Tuesday that the sides were "very, very close" to a two-year deal worth a little more than $40MM. Schulman, his Chronicle colleague John Shea and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News all added contract details (all links are via Twitter).
Good for him
woohoo
Hmm, now let’s see if they can fit Matt Cain into the payroll…
They’d be fine if it’s weren’t for that Zito guy.
You do know they have an ever increasing payroll that is at $130 million right now…
Timmeh making bank!
He might get a 200 mil contract in 2 years
He’s gonna get paid for sure. But I’m guessing at 29 teams may be a bit more leery of his physique will keep the bidding under 200M.
We were all saying the same thing about fielder and look what happened there.
If he puts up number in line with his career numbers, he will get paid.
I can’t see him topping CC’s contract, especially with (false?) concerns about his durability due to build.
For being such a little dude he sure can pitch big. Good for him. Will have to see how the next 2 years pan out before I can guess on a future contract.
Big Time Timmy Jim! Keep on proving everybody wrong baby! Too bad the Gints couldn’t buy out some FA years but I can understand with the hardware he’s got why its a tough sell.
Great signing but when I saw the word “extension”, I though it would apply for 3 years or more
Congrats to my boy Timmy! Keep proving them wrong.
After this season, a ton of $$ coming off the books:
Rowand $12 mill
Huff $10 mill
F. Sanchez $6 mill
Cabrera $6 mill (Unless extended)
Affeldt $5 mill
Pagan $4.5 mill (unless extended)
Then the albatross comes off the books after next season.
There is money to play with…
More sources say that Roawnd is actually owed 13.6 mill rather than 12 mill. Currently I have the Giants’ 2012 payroll at 128.5 mill including Rowand’s 13.6 mill and 2013 payroll at 108 mill minus all the players you mentioned. Maybe a small move for a bench bat this year and a upgrade for middle infield or OF next year?
A player who only impacts the team once every five days does not warrent 20 million per.
If you actually do the math, I’m pretty sure a lot of starting pitchers are actually involved in just as many plays as most position players.
^This guy
but have a much, much bigger impact on the games they DO play in than any position player.
A position player gets ~4 PA/game. A pitcher who makes a quality start (6IP) gets 18 opposing batters out. 7 IP means 21 outs, etc.
Were you saying that in the 2010 World Series?
The Giants never won the World Series with a big bat like Bonds. They won with the great pitching arms, of course including Lincecum. So, I’m glad he will be on the team for a lot longer. He deserves it.
Well said.
exactly..if anything he’s already earned most of this money. people forget so easily. 2 cy’s and a ring, thats darn near legendary and hes still under 30.
not worth 20 mil year
You never have to worry about A’s players making 20 million.
haha says an oakland fan…appearantly nobody is worth anything there
Linc is awesome .. filthy.. nasty pitcher – best I’ve seen since Gooden – Hope he does work and gets paid .. he is so non generic – great for the game
If I was a Giants fan I would be a little mad about the fact that Lincecum has practically extorted money from the organization without ever committing to them long term. I know he is worth it but thats the kind of money you should make if you are pitching within a long or mid term contract. By him squeezing every single possible dollar from the Giants and only signing for 1 or 2 years at a time it leaves them unable to invest in a big time bat. I say again I think hes worth the money but only with a longer commitment. Timmy bad.
How many other pitchers have accomplished what he has at age 27? As for a bat, the Giants will find one. And it also takes out Lincecum’s remaining arbitration years.
In addition, the Giants have an additional source of revenue from UC Berkeley, which is paying rent to the Giants for home football games at AT&T Park.
short commitments for pitchers are so good. this is so much better for the giants.
I would think with 40 million coming off the books next year and Zito off the books the year after the Giants can keep Lincecum and Cain and still make some upgrades in the field over the next few years.
Bottom line-all these fools make waaaaaaaay too much money. None of them are worth the money they make! Don’t get me wrong-I love the game, but the salaries are ridiculous!!! Would rather not now what they make.