Giants' CEO hints at future role for Lincecum

While Tim Lincecum hasn't officially retired, San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer hinted that a future role for their storied starter could be waiting for him.

"There's definitely a place in the Giants world for Lincecum," Baer told Daniel Brown of The Mercury News. "I mean, that goes without saying.

"It was a happy fit because he was San Francisco," Baer also said, recalling Lincecum's relatively short, yet illustrious, playing career. "He is San Francisco. Quirky. Eccentric. Marches to his own beat.

"When it was Timmy Day, it wasn’t just that he was good. It was like a lot of the fans felt their son was pitching. ‘Here’s our kid going out there.’ He was embraced in that way - your son’s Little League game. You really felt invested, emotionally, in his performance."

Memorably, Lincecum - affectionately referred to as "The Freak" for his unconventional mechanics and slender frame - won back-to-back Cy Young awards for the Giants in 2008-09 in his age-24 and 25 years. In his first five seasons, the right-hander logged over 1000 innings, posting a 2.98 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

Over the next four seasons though, Lincecum's ERA skyrocketed to 4.68, as the three-time World Series champion and owner of two no-hitters was left to sign a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

After nine starts for the Angels with a 9.16 ERA last year, Lincecum hasn't returned to baseball in any capacity for the 2017 season.

Whether Baer is hinting at a front-office role - perhaps similar to Dan Haren's role as pitching strategist for the Arizona Diamondbacks - or more of a coaching role remains to be seen.