Lincecum for Rios? Not yet

Giants and Jays could still swap young stars after meetings

John Shea-San Francisco Chronicle

Tim Lincecum's nickname is "The Franchise," and that helps explain why Giants management is having such a tough time deciding whether to trade him.

The Blue Jays have settled on Lincecum - not Matt Cain - and a Lincecum-for-Alex Rios deal, straight up, remained on the table Wednesday night. Giants general manager Brian Sabean said there's no timetable to pull the trigger and that the trade could be completed after the winter meetings end today.

Apparently, it's in the Giants' corner.

They're not rushing to judgment because Lincecum is a star-in-the-making who, at 23, already has won over Giants fans with his confident demeanor and explosive fastball.

It's no wonder management is split. Some in the organization are adamant about keeping Lincecum, and some are keen on welcoming Rios and giving a rotation job to Jonathan Sanchez. Some are neutral.

"Everyone sees the merit of both sides of the argument," Sabean said without mentioning Lincecum by name. "That's what makes it a difficult decision. In this case, whether you make the trade or don't make the trade, there's relative upside and relative cost.

"It has to be weighed because of the pain when you're talking about the type of player you have to give up. That's a loss that you won't be able to cover. You can make adjustments internally in the rotation, but talent-wise, you're really taking a step back, present and future."

While the club's two biggest transactions last winter, the signing of Barry Zito and re-signing of Barry Bonds, were largely handled by ownership, Sabean and his inner circle would be more visible in calling the shots on this one.

"This would be an organizational decision," he said. "One person, whether it's myself or one strong voice, isn't going to make that decision. It's going to be in the best interest of the organization. I apprise (ownership) on everything I do. More succinctly, it's the baseball operations people who have to cross this bridge."

Sabean spoke with Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi again Wednesday and will remain in contact if he leaves today without a deal. "There are still a couple of things that need to be fleshed out. I don't know if it would happen with one call," Sabean said.

A player of Rios' status is necessary if the Giants' anemic offense is to be respectable. The right fielder batted .297 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in 161 games and scored 114 runs while swiping 17 bases. He's three years from free agency.

Even with Rios, the Giants would search for more help. One option remains Tadahito Iguchi, a second baseman who wants to play on the West Coast. His agent, Rocky Hall, is seeking a three-year deal and said he spoke with the Giants about Iguchi playing third in 2008, and after Ray Durham's contract expires, moving to second.

The Giants don't have many other options at third base. They don't expect Pedro Feliz to accept arbitration Friday, meaning his Giants career could officially end. He's seeking a three-year deal, which the Giants won't offer.

They're not involved in talks for Brandon Inge, the Tigers' third baseman who became expendable after Miguel Cabrera was traded to Detroit, and view free agent Mike Lamb more as a first baseman.

One possibility is staying in-house and moving second baseman Kevin Frandsen to third and keeping Durham at second. A costlier option is a trade for Baltimore's Miguel Tejada and sliding him from short to third.

On the pitching front, the Giants have considered left-handed reliever Ron Mahay, who was 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 58 games for Texas and Atlanta. The escalating cost of relievers may keep the Giants out of the market, though Mahay said in a Wednesday phone interview being a Giant would be intriguing.

"That would be huge, especially for spring training," said Mahay, who lives in Arizona.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday there were talks in spring training and again in the season about Lincecum possibly becoming a closer. For now, Bochy added, Brian Wilson will open spring training as the closer.