An arbitration hearing is one of the most difficult and grueling things a Major League Baseball player will endure. There are times, however, when it can be a swift, almost comedic, experience.
Well, one instance comes to mind.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum left a legacy on the game. Three World Series rings, and becoming a beloved fan favorite was only part of what made him great. This story will help that definition hold true, as told by former teammate, Kevin Frandsen.
“Walked into the courtroom with both Cy Young Awards,” Frandsen said once in an interview with MLB Network Radio. “They never even started talking — it was signed, sealed and delivered right there. I think it was a two-year deal, right there.”
That’s it. That’s pretty much the end of the story. Lincecum simply presented his hardware as to why he deserved the salary figure he had been asked.
The action worked.
It appeared to me a two-year, $23 million deal that he signed in 2010.
“You talk about just a pimp move,” Frandsen said.
In total, Lincecum spent 10 seasons with the San Francisco Giants — finishing with a career 3.61 ERA while sporting the orange and black. He led the National League in strikeouts in three of those seasons. In the midst of that, he tossed two no-hitters.
The arbitration process isn’t usually that black and white, of course. The most recent one with 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes being the victim of penny-pinching at the helm of his Milwaukee Brewers.
Burnes asked for $10.75 million, the Brewers countered with $10.01M, and won.
“Obviously, it’s tough to hear. It’s tough to take. They’re trying to do what they can to win a hearing,” Burnes told reporters at spring training in February, including ESPN. “There’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt from what [transpired] over the last couple weeks. There’s really no way of getting around that.”
Brutal.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.