Why are the Giants moving him out?
His last good season was 2011. He has shown some flashes and was better last year than the previous 3, but he wasn’t good enough to keep in their rotation.
His contract expired and the Giants stated they don't have a spot in the starting rotation for him.
Lincecum believes he can still pitch at the elite level and the Giants amorphous, incentive-based offer was not what he was looking for.
He had a nagging hip injury on which he had surgery in the off-season. His fastball which topped at 97 during his prime had fallen to 87 last year. He only weighs like 160 and relied on a very strenuous delivery to generate his speed. When his body faltered, so too did his ability. In his post surgery showcase, he was back up to 91 on the gun. The Giants are looking to contend again and they needed more reliable starting pitching, so they let Timmeh go FA.