Tim Lincecum, the 2008 and 2009 winner of the National League Cy Young Award and the 2010 Babe Ruth Award, is rumoured to be in the sights of the Seattle Mariners once the 2013 season ends.

The 29-year-old Lincecum, who grew up in Bellevue, Washington, attended the University of Washington on a baseball scholarship. After one year, he was drafted tenth overall by the San Francisco Giants, cashing in on a $2.025 million signing bonus. Despite winning the 2010 and 2012 World Series with the Giants, he was relegated to a relief pitcher role in 2012. He was demoted to a third-choice role in 2013, starting behind Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner.

Lincecum's career seems to have picked up just before the All-Star break, pinching his first career no-hitter against San Diego on the road. He is currently carrying a 4.44 ERA and is widely perceived to be a more mature pitcher compared to his Cy Young years, even if he has lost velocity in his pitch.

The Mariners, on the other hand, are looking for depth on the mound. Felix Hernandez is the highest paid pitcher in franchise history, but despite the presence of All-Star Hisashi Iwakuma, the pitcher rotation is somewhat shallow. The Mariners might be wanting to make up for the mistake of not drafting the hometown hero Lincecum in 2007, and Lincecum could give Iwakuma some competition at the relief pitcher role. The addition should also give Lincecum some breathing room and less pressure to perform. After all, Lincecum has already logged 1,400 career innings at a very young age.

Seattle is far behind Tampa Bay in the AL wild card race and might be looking to unload some of their young talent in favour of experienced players. Lincecum, with his two-year $40.5 million deal with the Giants, could be persuaded to take the bus to western Washington State. He could also be traded by the Giants, which is seeking a revamp of their roster, following a very disappointing 2013 season, for the likes of Joe Saunders or Aaron Harang, both intriguing prospects waiting for a breakout season.