Giants rumors: San Francisco won't trade Tim Lincecum

The San Francisco Giants won’t attempt to trade right-hander Tim Lincecum this offseason, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com:

"No way he'll be traded. Do you see how the fans respond to him?'' one person connected to the Giants said.

There have been reports that the Giants may consider trading or at least shopping Lincecum this winter, but Heyman believes a move to the bullpen is more logical. For their part, San Francisco has said that they view Lincecum as a starter entering the 2013 season.

Lincecum’s popularity and contract situation are what’s expected to keep him in San Francisco, according to Heyman. The 28-year-old is owed $21.5 million next season before he reaches the free agent market.

Lincecum had an unusually down year in 2012, maintaining an ERA of 5.18 over 33 starts spanning 186 innings. His strikeouts per nine innings remained over 9, but his walks per nine climbed to a career high 4.4.

Following his disappointing regular season Lincecum has been used mostly out of the bullpen during the playoffs. He’s appeared in five games, including one start, and has allowed five runs over nine hits with four walks and 17 strikeouts over 15 1/3 innings.