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Things aren’t going well between the Giants and Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum works against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ in the first inning of a baseball game on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP Photo/Keith Birmingham)

AP

So, how are those pre-arbitration negotiations goin’, fellas?

To say the recent discussions between the Giants and Thurman [Lincecum’s agent], who exchanged arbitration numbers featuring the largest gap in the history of the process, have not gone well is an understatement. According to several sources, what’s been going on between the Giants and Lincecum/Thurman shouldn’t really be characterized as discussions at all.

“Dismissals” would be more accurate -- as in the Lincecum camp promptly dismissing every variation of the Giants’ proposed two-year deals.

And with each perceived insult of an offer, Lincecum is said to think less and less of the team he’s almost single-handedly put back on the map.

Oh dear. And this on the same day that Justin Verlander signed a high eight-figure deal. To be sure, not everyone is as worried as Comcast’s Mychael Urban is. MLB.com’s Chris Haft talks to a bunch of agents who think that the parties will settle before arbitration.

The problem to me, though, is that Haft’s sources are all talking about them settling on a one year deal as opposed to something long term. Doing it that way means that everyone will be back here this time next year, and in the long run, that will probably cost the Giants a hell of a lot more money than trying to lock him up now.

And the Giants do want to keep Lincecum long-term, right? I mean, is there any other option here?