According to a recent report published by ESPN News, the San Francisco Giants rejected Tim Lincecum’s $21.5 million request on Wednesday. The player asked this sum as retribution in arbitration, but the club only offered him $17 million.
The salary that the 27-year-old baseball pitcher requested to San Francisco Giants almost equals the record amount sought in arbitration. The event took place in 2005 when Houston pitcher Roger Clemens asked for $22 million. San Francisco’s offer was also the highest in history because it exceeded the $14.25 million salary proposed by the New York Yankees to Derek Jeter in 2001.
Giants’ vice president of baseball operations, Bobby Evans told the press that the team will most likely reach an agreement with Lincecum without going to the hearing room. Pablo Sandoval got a similar offer from the Giants. He agreed on a $17.15 million, three-year contract. Kung Fu Panda, as friends like to call him, became an All-Star last season. The third baseman also managed to lose 40 pounds during an offseason diet.
Lincecum won the Game 5 World Series clincher at Texas in 2010. He earned $13.1 million last season after completing a two-year deal worth $23.2 million.
San Francisco declared in a previous interview that the team wants to get Lincecum and Matt Cain locked up with long-term deals. However, the 27-year-old pitcher stated that he prefers to keep his options open in the future by signing shorter contracts.
Based on Evans’ declarations, the contract will not be smaller than one year. The two parties are currently struggling to meet each other halfway. This is, in Evans’ opinion, what negotiations come down to, in the end. Negotiations will most likely end before the spring training and the arbitration hearing.
Bobby Evans further stated that the Giants take several factors into consideration when they have to make an offer. They know each player is different; therefore, they prefer to look at his past contracts in order to determine where he should be classified. In 2009, Lincecum earned only $650,000, but the recent contracts have raised his income.
