Reports: Three claimed Giants not going anywhere
Three key San Francisco Giants players -- pitchers Tim Lincecum and Javier Lopez and outfielder Hunter Pence -- were all placed on waivers Saturday, and all three were claimed by teams, according to a CBSSports.com report.
However, "none of them are going anywhere," a source told the website.
The Giants could trade any of the claimed players, but it appears that the claiming teams did so only to block trades. It is also possible the Giants never had any interest in trading the three players.
The Giants can still pull the claimed players off waivers and keep them, which is what is expected to happen.
All three will be free agents after this season, and the Giants could save close to $8 million by trading them or letting them go.
But the report suggests the Giants are not anxious to part with three players who helped them win the World Series last year. Lincecum and Lopez were also part of the Giants' 2010 title run.
It's believed the Giants will at least make qualifying offers to those three. That would allow the Giants to pick up draft choices if those players should sign elsewhere.
While Lincecum (7-13, 4.55 ERA) is making $22 million this year, he is owed just $4.2 million for the remainder of this season. Pence is owed $2.8 million for the rest of the season and Lopez $859,000. That's why they were claimed.
