Should the Diamondbacks go after Tim Lincecum?

Former Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is having a showcase for interested teams on Friday. About 20 teams are expected to be in attendance.

The two-time Cy Young award winner went 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA last season. He wasn’t signed in the winter because of a hip injury, and is vying for a spot on a big-league roster now. Lincecum is said to be throwing in the low-90’s. This is far better than his high-80’s average from last season.

It has been about five years since his last dominant season, but Lincecum still might be able to help someone out of the bullpen. He dominated out of a bullpen role, and at this stage in his career, he could benefit from a smaller workload. The Braves did this with John Smoltz after he had Tommy John surgery at 33, and he ended up being one of the best closers in the league.

Lincecum turns 32 next month, and could be someone who could help the Diamondbacks in this role. The team has a 3.98 bullpen ERA this season, so there is plenty of room for improvement on that front. Lincecum isn’t going to demand much of a salary, so he could be a low-risk, high reward signee. While it’s hard to justify breaking the bank on Lincecum, he could be a solid bullpen addition at a reasonable price.

Despite the way the Diamondbacks have pitched, they haven’t lost much ground in the standings. They are just 1.5 games behind the .500 Rockies for first place. They should be buyers right now– if you can justify using the term in May.

And considering the way the Diamondbacks’ rotation has performed, he may be able to help them there too.