Report: White Sox Target Tim Lincecum To Sign With Angels
(CBS) The White Sox will miss out on a target on the open market, as two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum appears ready to sign with the Angels, according to 670 The Score contributors Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.
No details of a looming deal are official, though Lincecum is expected to sign with the Angels shortly. The White Sox are out of the mix, Passan reported.
Both the White Sox and Angels were offering Lincecum to join their teams as a starting pitcher. Ever since designating John Danks for assignment, the White Sox have been searching for a fifth starter. Lincecum's old team, the Giants, were in the mix, but offered his return as a reliever.
Lincecum, 31, is coming off offseason hip surgery and remained a free agent. He recently held a workout that drew nearly ever MLB team to Washington.
Speaking to 670 The Score this past weekend, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn expressed his interest in bolstering the team's rotation, specifically at the spot of No. 5 starter.
"From a general standpoint, we're not going to leave any stone unturned when it comes to putting our roster in a better spot to compete going forward," Hahn said about the White Sox interest in Lincecum. "Certainly, pitching depth is one of the areas the club — probably like the other 29 clubs — is going to be in the market for going forward.
"We have some pretty special pitching talent here in Chicago right now, and we have it under (contract) control through their primes," Hahn said. "It would be too good of an opportunity to squander to not try to do everything in our power to put the club in a position where Chris Sale, Quintana, Rodon and others get to perform on the biggest stage, in October."
Now, with Lincecum out of the picture, the White Sox will be left to explore alternatives.