Tim Lincecum Hoping To Hold February Showcase

11:26am: Lincecum’s physical therapist says he’s set to begin throwing off a mound in the next week, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “He’s throwing every day and says he’s doing great,” says his agent, Rick Thurman of Beverly Hills Sports Council. “He’s got no instability in his hip, and he’s enthusiastic about his progress.”

8:59am: Free agent starter Tim Lincecum hopes to hold a showcase in the first half of February, Jon Heyman tweets. Lincecum had surgery on to treat a degenerative hip condition in September, and it had previously been reported that Lincecum was planning to hold a showcase in January. The new February date would, then, suggest a delay, although the reasons for that delay are unknown. The Marlins are among the teams that have reportedly had interest in Lincecum.

Before being shut down midway through the season, Lincecum had posted a 4.13 ERA, although with a 7.1 K/9 and a high 4.5 BB/9 that were even less impressive than that modest ERA figure. His average fastball velocity also fell from 89.6 MPH in 2014 to 87.2 MPH, probably an untenable number for a righty. It remains to be seen whether Lincecum’s surgery will fix the issues that ailed him last season, but in any case, he’ll probably have to settle for a one-year deal from a team hoping he can recapture some percentage of his past glory as he enters his age-32 season. It has, however, been five years since Lincecum was a top starter, as he’s provided value consistent with that of a back-of-the-rotation starter since 2012.