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Extension Candidate: Tim Lincecum

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Tim Lincecum's first four Major League seasons have included two NL Cy Young Awards, three consecutive NL strikeout titles and a World Series ring.  Not bad for a "freak" that fell to the 10th pick of the 2006 draft due to concerns about his throwing motion.

The Giants have already struck gold with the 26-year-old and now the only question seems to be the length of Lincecum's next deal with the team.  The right-hander signed a two-year, $23MM contract before the 2010 season that covered his first two arbitration years, but as a Super Two player, Lincecum will have two more arb years remaining before he finally reaches free agency after the 2013 season.

By the end of 2011, Lincecum will have a bit more than four years of Major League service time to his name.  Lincecum will no doubt be looking for an extension that at least matches the largest deal given to a pitcher between four and five years of service time — Justin Verlander's five-year, $80MM deal with the Tigers, signed before the 2010 season.  Let's compare the key stats of the two pitchers over their first three-plus years in the majors:

Verlander: 4.11 ERA, 97 starts, 600 IP, 477 Ks, 1.33 WHIP, 2.65 K/BB, 8.7 H/9, 0.9 HR/9, 3.3 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

Lincecum: 3.04 ERA, 122 starts, 811 IP, 907 Ks, 1.18 WHIP, 3.1 K/BB, 7.4 H/9, 0.6 HR/9, 3.3 BB/9, 10.1 K/9

Lincecum clearly has the stronger resume of the two men at similar points in their careers, though of course Verlander delivered a superb 2009 season before signing his extension.  If Lincecum delivers just his average season in 2011 (3.04 ERA, 30 starts, 203 IP, 227 Ks, and the same decimal stats as listed earlier), his four-year numbers and his postseason heroics will net him a larger deal.  Five years and $85MM seems like the minimum for any extension.

We heard last week from Brian Sabean that he didn't expect any long-term negotiations with Lincecum to take place during the season.  There's no pressure on the Giants to get something done quickly, of course, plus it may behoove the club to see how Lincecum performs in 2011.  Lincecum's ERA jumped to 3.43 last season and his peripherals also weren't as strong as in his two Cy Young years.  Still, it was far from a down season, as Lincecum was terrific down the stretch (a 1.94 ERA in six September starts) and through the playoffs as the Giants won the World Series.

San Francisco will have a lot of decisions to make about their pitching staff over the next few seasons.  Matt Cain's deal is up after 2012, Jonathan Sanchez has one year of arbitration left, and the team might look to get cost certainty through Madison Bumgarner's arb years, though Bumgarner (another Super Two) isn't eligible for arbitration until after 2012.  Barring an injury or a big setback in 2011, Lincecum's track record and his position as the face of the franchise will ensure that his contract is dealt with first.

Minor League Transactions

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There was a slew of minor league transactions from March 30 to April 5, and Matt Eddy of Baseball America has written them up and included info on some noteworthy names. Here's more on those …

  • The Cubs released righty Chris Huseby, an 11th-round draft pick in 2006 who signed for a hefty $1.3MM. Huseby wasn't panning out as a pitcher and saw action in the outfield in recent seasons.
  • The Indians released third baseman Matt Cusick, one of the two players they received from the Yankees in last season's swap for Kerry Wood. The other player – Andrew Shive – had been previously released.
  • The Rockies released reliever Craig Baker, who led the Minors in saves in 2009 with 33. A fourth-round pick 2006, Baker's 2010 was derailed by the injuries that haunted him earlier in his career.
  • The Astros released reliever Bubbie Buzachero, who is among the active career leaders in minor league saves.
  • The Royals released speedy outfielder Hilton Richardson, a seventh-round pick in 2007 who has 77 steals in the minors in 100 attempts. The Braves then signed Richardson.
  • The Dodgers released lefty reliever James Adkins, a sandwich-round pick in 2007 out of Tennessee. The southpaw is the Volunteers' career leader in strikeouts but has struggled with control and against righties in the minors.
  • The Brewers released hard-throwing lefty Evan Frederickson, the 35th overall pick in 2008. Frederickson has been excessively wild in his minors career, never walking fewer than 7.6 batters per nine, according to Eddy.
  • Twins righty Chris Province, acquired from the Red Sox in the Boof Bonser trade in 2009, voluntarily retired. Province surrendered a lot of hits in 2010, but seeing as he posted solid groundball rates for two poor teams, Eddy wonders whether he might have fared better with a better defense behind him.
  • The Padres released catcher Mitch Canham, the 57th overall pick in 2007. The Friars hoped Canham would develop into an offense-first backstop, but he was abused by basestealers, and his production with the bat didn't hold up at other positions.
  • The Giants released righty Craig Whitaker, a supplemental-round pick in 2003. Whitaker, as Eddy notes, is something of a rarity as an unsuccessful power arm drafted by San Francisco. Outfielder Ben Copeland, the Giants' first pick (fourth round) in 2005, was also released.
  • The Rangers released righty Danny Gutierrez, formerly one of their top-10 prospects. Gutierrez had been acquired from the Royals, but his stuff has diminished and was suspended 50 games for amphetamines prior to the 2010 season.
  • The Blue Jays released speedy outfielder Eric Eiland, a second-round pick in 2007. Eiland has been an efficient basestealer but has struggled overall offensively.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Ekstrom, Wagner, Ishikawa

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The Pacific Coast League's transactions page gives us the update on three recently-designated players.

Giants Sign Doug Mathis

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The Giants signed righty Doug Mathis yesterday, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page.  He's already made a start for the Fresno Grizzlies.  The 27-year-old had been released by the Indians last week.

Mathis posted a 5.66 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 0.7 HR/9 in 89 Triple-A innings last year, mostly as a starter.  He was worse with the Rangers in 22 1/3 relief innings, allowing seven home runs and 30 hits.

Giants Notes: Ross, Runzler, Rowand, Belt

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The defending World Champions are off to a slow 1-3 start and will face the Padres tomorrow after a day off. Here's the latest on the Giants…

  • Chris Haft of MLB.com outlines some ways the Giants could create roster space for Cody Ross and Brian Wilson when they return to action. It appears that the Giants will option Dan Runzler to create space for Wilson, but creating space for Ross won't be as simple. Rookie Brandon Belt may have to return to the minor leagues.
  • Haft adds that there's little to any trade rumors involving Aaron Rowand.
  • Manager Bruce Bochy has earned the Giants' respect because they aren't concerned that his motives go beyond winning, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. That means Belt's transition from prospect to big leaguer has been relatively smooth.
  • John Klima of the LA Times explains how Belt, a fifth rounder, beat many highly-touted prospects to the majors and has earned a roster spot on the defending World Champions.

Quick Hits: Zito, Orioles, Meyer, Cardinals

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Links for Sunday, as Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler become the first set of teammates in MLB history to homer in each of their team's first three games…

NL Notes: Kroon, Edmonds, Dodgers, Padres

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Links for Saturday, as Ichiro Suzuki will attempt to pick up the one hit he needs to tie Edgar Martinez for the most in Mariners history (2,247)…

  • Giants pitcher Marc Kroon confirmed (via Twitter) that he has decided to remain with the Giants and report to Triple-A Fresno.  The right-handed reliever said at various points this offseason that he would not accept a demotion to the minors.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer wasn't shocked by Edmonds' recent comments regarding the Reds.
  • MLB.com's Mark Sheldon passes along a quote from Jim Edmonds, who blasted the Reds in a recent radio interview. "The worst thing I did was accept that trade for [Reds GM] Walt Jocketty," said Edmonds, who went from the Brewers to the Reds last summer. "I should have shut it down and went home. I would be healthy right now and probably playing." He also criticized the Reds' medical staff.
  • ESPN's Tim Kurkjian listed 11 stories to watch in 2011, including the impending free agencies of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.
  • Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers opened the season with a payroll exceeding $95MM, up from $83MM last year. The team also owes $15MM in salary deferments from previous seasons.
  • Tim Sullivan of The San Diego Union-Tribune explains why a recent Forbes report indicating that the Padres had a $37.2MM operating income in 2010 could be misinterpreted.

Quick Hits: Kroon, Sanchez, Cubs, Pirates, Rays

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The Red Sox announced the passing of longtime executive Lou Gorman, who built Boston's 1986 American League Championship team. Our condolences to Gorman's family and friends. Here are this evening's links…

  • Giants GM Brian Sabean confirmed to Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News that right-hander Marc Kroon has an out-clause in his contract that can be triggered on June 1st (Twitter link). The Japanese league vet will head to Triple-A after signing a minor league deal earlier this year.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report indicating that Romulo Sanchez has signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles for $475K plus bonuses (Twitter links). The Yankees released Sanchez so he could purse a job in Japan last week.
  • Maury Brown at The Biz of Baseball reports that 234 players (27.7%) on MLB rosters on Opening Day were born outside of the United States. The all-time record is 29.2% in 2005.
  • Cubs chairmam Tom Ricketts told Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune that he's okay with eating the $11.5MM left on Carlos Silva's deal in order to release the right-hander. "We knew it was a possibility that there might not be a spot for him, and that’s just the way it is," said Ricketts. "You’ve got to have the best team on the field, and that’s what counts."
  • Baseball America's Matt Eddy rounded up all of last week's minor league transactions. See what familiar names were signed and released as teams finalize their minor league rosters.
  • Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette challenges Pirates leaders to change the perception that the team is focused on profit, destined never to compete.
  • Cork Gaines of Rays Index shows that the Rays' payroll dropped 41.7% from last year, all the way down to $41.9MM. The Rays committed $12.6MM to Wade Davis yesterday, an especially substantial investment for a team on such a limited budget.
  • White Sox director of international scouting Jerry Krause is stepping down to join the Diamondbacks, according Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. The former Chicago Bulls GM will assist Arizana executive Jerry DiPoto.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Dodgers can overcome surrounding distractions to become a playoff team in 2011. In fact, he predicts an NL West title for the Dodgers.

GM Not Expecting Talks With Lincecum During Season

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Giants GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News that he doubts there will be talks with Tim Lincecum about a contract extension during the season (Twitter links). He added that "you never say never," but it would require "more of a meeting of the minds."

Lincecum is in the second year of a two-year, $23MM contract he signed before last season, but he'll remain under team control in both 2012 and 2013 as an arbitration-eligible player. He'll earn $13MM this season, so his starting point is high for a player with under five years of service time. Of course Lincecum is no ordinary player. He won the Cy Young Award in each of his first two full seasons, and he's led the league in strikeouts in each of the last three seasons.

Sabean also mentioned that the extension for Freddy Sanchez came together rather quickly, and that Cody Ross wanted multiple years when the two sides talked about a deal.

Giants Extend Freddy Sanchez

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The Giants have reached an agreement with second baseman Freddy Sanchez on a one-year, $6MM extension, MLBTR has learned.  The Giants have confirmed the agreement (on Twitter).

Sanchez's previous contract, signed in October of 2009, runs through this year, and the new deal extends him at the same salary through the 2012 season.  According to our source, Sanchez turned down a 2013 club option with an accompanying buyout, preferring to retain control of his contractual status after the '12 season.  Sanchez is represented by Sosnick Cobbe Sports.

Sanchez, 33, hit .292/.342/.397 in 479 plate appearances for the Giants last year, batting second most of the time.  He's known for his ability to hit for average, with a .298 career mark and a batting title in 2006.  He's also solid with the glove, based on UZR.  The one recent concern has been durability, as he's missed time with back, knee, and shoulder injuries the past few years. 

The extension pushes Sosnick Cobbe Sports into the $90MM range for total contracts brokered this offseason, putting the firm in play for top ten overall placement for the second consecutive winter.  Though it's a small agency, Sosnick Cobbe has done about the same volume of business this winter as Wasserman Media Group and Octagon due to contracts for Jay Bruce, Ricky Nolasco, and others.  Josh Willingham is an extension candidate with Oakland, which could push their total higher.

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