Showing Lincecum Some Love: signing bonus of $2.025M

The Giants gave Lincecum a $2.025M signing bonus, according to a report from Chron. It is the highest they ever paid out, just passing the $1.875M that they gave Jason Grilli in 1997. It is also higher than the bonus that would be suggested by the $2M that #8 pick got and the $1.6M that the #12 pick got, this would have suggested a $1.8M-ish signing bonus.

However, the $2.025M signing bonus is in line with what #10 picks were getting over the past few years. So the Giants put their money where their mouth is - because Sabean proclaimed what a great pick he was and how they thought he would be long gone before they picked - and gave Lincecum the extra $200,000 plus threw in $25,000, which could be like when Bill Russell asked the Celtics for $1 more than what Wilt Chamberlain was making, Lincecum was looking to get over $2M and he got it. Plus it also matches the bonus paid out in 2004 to the #10 pick (the $2.65M that Cameron Maybin got in 2005 was out of line with what the picks around him got, he should have gotten around $2M as well), so that could have been the driving factor for Lincecum as well.

This also gave him more than the #8 pick got, though not more than the #9, but #9 was a high schooler with more leverage. That was also a factor for Cameron Maybin, who was also a high school player when he signed. High school players have more leverage because they can pass on signing and go to college, whereas players like Lincecum has less leverage as he is near the end of his college eligibility, though, as a junior, he could have passed on the Giants and gone back.

Obviously the money was a big factor in his decision, he probably couldn't improve his position much higher, given all that he acheived this season, in particular the Golden Spike award, and yet still fell to #10, but the opportunity with the Giants probably appealed to him as well. The Giants are usually in the hunt for the playoffs and this year does not appear any different. They always need relievers and he could conceivably contribute in that fashion at the end of this season. There is also the potential that if he did well enough, he could be eligible to play in the playoffs. Then next year, he'll be competing for one, maybe two, spots in the rotation, with Morris, Lowry, and Cain already written in, perhaps Schmidt re-signed but maybe not, then Wright, Hennessey and maybe Sanchez fighting for the final spot. He's got to like that competition.

If he went back into the draft, he would get another year of apparent college abuse on his arm and maybe he does as well as this season, but maybe not. It could also be a stronger draft which might make him fall further than 10th. Lastly, if he did do better and went higher in the draft, chances are he is going to be drafted by a lousy noncompetitive team, whereas Sabean has been able to keep the Giants in contention most of the time. There's not much to gain from going back to college.