Red Sox Interested in Tim Lincecum

There’s that cliche about how pitching wins games and the Red Sox seem to be taking to it.

Former San Francisco Giant Tim Lincecum is set to have a showcase on Friday and the Red Sox will be one of the teams in attendance. Team president Dave Dombrowski is sending an elevator to catch a glimpse at “The Freak” down in Scottsdale.

Injuries limited Lincecum to just 15 start last season with the San Francisco Giants. And in that time, he went 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA in 15 outings.

But remember: this guy used to be awesome. He was topping out at near 100 MPH and striking everyone out. No. That’s not really the same guy. Last year, his average fastball was 87 MPH — possibly the slowest fastball among MLB starting pitchers last season — including Henry Owens.

There look to be plenty of suitors for Lincecum and the Red Sox probably only want him if his velo is up from where it has been in the past.

But sometimes, slow isn’t always bad in baseball. You know who else used to throw hard and then didn’t? Chet Steadman. That worked out pretty well for the Cubs in that movie.

The Red Sox have a clear hole in their rotation. OK, no holding back: his name is Clay Buchholz. Pitching depth is always crucial to have and if the Sox could a decent deal on Lincecum, then he would be a welcomed addition. Think about it: would you rather him or Henry Owens pitching? Would you rather him or Clay Buchholz pitching? Even him or Joe Kelly? Going to just assume he’d probably be an upgrade.

Is it guaranteed to happen? No. Is it likely? It’s possible. Obviously, the Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies have a huge advantage over everyone else. But that doesn’t mean the Red Sox shouldn’t at least try.

Remember: he was teammates with Pablo Sandoval with the Giants, so that could… nah, Sandoval is a lost cause.