Yankees would be wise to take a chance on Tim Lincecum

Today in Seattle, the Yankees are one of at least a dozen teams attending the showcase of two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, Tim Lincecum.

After a full season away from the game, “The Freak” is looking for a way back in. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Yankees will be just one of the many clubs on hand to get a glimpse of former Giants’ ace, Tim Lincecum.

A four-time All-Star and three-time World Series Champion, Lincecum brings an undeniable pedigree of what it takes to succeed on baseball’s biggest stage.

With swirling speculation that the Yankees are still considering adding another arm into the equation that is the starting rotation, perhaps the 33-year-old that famously led the NL in strikeouts three consecutive years (2008-2010) has something left in the tank.

Signing with the Angels for $2.5 million in 2016 did not go to plan.

Returning from major hip surgery, Lincecum tossed just 38.1 innings, resulting in a 2-6 record and a 9.16 ERA. Three months later, the Halos cut “Big Time Timmy Jim” loose.

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With his once robust fastball barely reaching the mid-80s, and injuries taking a toll on his diminutive 170-pound frame, it looked like the end of the line for Lincecum, who once tossed no-hitters against the Padres in 2013 and ’14.

However, just this past December, a pitcher of a lean and mean Lincecum emerged on Twitter. Sporting a short new hairdo, it was announced Lincecum would once again attempt a big league comeback.

Information released from Driveline Baseball, an analytics-based training facility in Kent, WA where players such as Lincecum focus on improving durability with the use of weighted balls, noted that Lincecum’s fastball now reaches the low 90s.

Obviously, pitching in practice is much different than doing so in a game. But if Lincecum, who has amassed 1736 career strikeouts, shows he still has the “It” factor that produced 110 wins and a 3.74 ERA, he’d be a low-cost, high-reward insurance policy headed into the new season.

Already this spring, CC Sabathia has rolled his left ankle during a fielding drill. And although the club says it’s nothing to worry about, a 37-year-old with bad knees and a cranky back is always something to worry about.

I say the Yankees offer Timmy their famous one-year minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Make it an incentive-laden deal with a real opportunity to prove he still belongs on a 25-man roster.

Next: Justin Verlander takes exception

If Lincecum is open to the idea of coming out of the bullpen, great. Not that the club is lacking in that department, but depending on what happens with Chad Green’s audition as a starter, there may well be an opening for a trusted long-man in the Bronx.