Angels, Giants, Diamondbacks, White Sox in on Tim Lincecum

The Angels, White Sox, Diamondbacks and Giants are the teams showing "early" interest in free-agent right-hander Tim Lincecum, according to a report from Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The Padres are also expected to make a play for Lincecum, who threw a showcase for teams in Arizona last week.

As many as 23 teams have showed at least some interest in Lincecum to this point, with reports indicating that he was likely to sign with a west-coast team in the near future.

The Giants remain in the mix to retain their former Cy Young winner, though recent holes in the Angels' and White Sox' rotations could cause those teams to become more aggressive. The Halos recently lost Garrett Richards for the season due to Tommy John surgery and are dealing with injuries to Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs as well, while the White Sox are looking for a fifth starter after cutting ties with John Danks earlier in the week.

Lincecum, 31, threw 41 pitches for scouts on Friday and is almost certain to receive a major-league deal considering all of the interest he is receiving. The 2-time Cy Young winner and 4-time All-Star struggled over the last four seasons with San Francisco, but is said to be fully healthy after recovering from hip surgery.