Somewhere in the hordes of enthusiastic fans will lurk another group that has long followed Lincecum: The skeptics, whose disbelief was recently renewed when the right-hander received his two-year, $40.5 million contract.
Having doubted Lincecum's ability to remain physically whole or even reach the Major Leagues, much less succeed, his detractors embraced this fresh opportunity to scoff at him. Speaking publicly Friday for the first time since he and the Giants agreed to their deal on Jan. 24, Lincecum calmly rebutted the assumptions as if they were so many helpless hitters.
Lincecum stated that the contract's length wasn't meant to provide a lucrative launching pad to free agency. "The Giants and my agent [Rick Thurman] found common ground on a two-year deal."
Lincecum pointedly added, "It doesn't eliminate any chance for future extension talks."
Giants general manager Brian Sabean confirmed this. Lincecum noted that the two-year accord fuels his natural tendency to goad himself each spring toward higher performance.
I've never been that way."
As for the value of Lincecum's contract, he cited the obvious fact that he signed for market value.
"That just kind of goes with being a professional athlete," Lincecum said. According to a popular theory, Lincecum intends to use free agency to leave San Francisco and join a more robust-hitting club. We want to pitch in those tight games."
Lincecum believes he'll be more physically able to thrive under such circumstances. He weighs a leaner, meaner 175 pounds. Having joked during Spring Training last year about endlessly swallowing In-N-Out burgers, Lincecum finished the 2011 season at 187 and actually ballooned to 196 early this offseason. A regimen of swimming helped him lose weight.
Lincecum sounded as if he's already primed for his likely Opening Day start at Arizona on April 6. He finished last season with a distressing outing against the Diamondbacks, beaning Justin Upton in the first inning and working only five innings in a 5-2 defeat.
