Dodgers kept tabs on Tim Lincecum, but he ends up with Rangers

The Dodgers attended the recent showcase of former two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and engaged in dialogue with the four-time San Francisco All-Star before he reportedly agreed to terms with the Texas Rangers.

A report by FanRag Sports listed the Dodgers, Rangers and “a few others” as the finalists for Lincecum’s services. Tuesday morning, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declined to comment. Manager Dave Roberts offered evasive answers. He said he had “no idea” if the Dodgers were pursuing Lincecum.

“I want to talk about our guys,” Roberts said.

And then, a couple of hours later, Lincecum surprised everyone by quickly agreeing to terms with the Rangers.

Lincecum, 33, did not pitch in 2017. He went 2-6 with a 9.16 earned-run average for the Angels in 2016. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 2008 and 2009, but his last effective season as a starter came in 2011. From 2012 to 2016, his ERA was 4.94 with 1.459 walks plus hits per nine innings.

It is unclear whether Lincecum wants to start or relieve in this comeback attempt. He pitched sparingly out of the bullpen during his 10 seasons in the majors. In the 2012 playoffs, he looked dominant in a series of outings as a reliever.

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UPDATES:

1:26 p.m.: This post was updated throughout with Lincecum agreeing to terms with the Texas Rangers.

The article was originally published at 12:45 p.m.