According to multiple sources, the San Francisco Giants are actively trying to sign Tim Lincecum to a long-term contract. The move makes sense for the team but probably will not go anywhere. “The Freak” has already stated his preference for one- or two-year deals. Of course, it does not hurt the organization in any way to give it a shot, and success could save a lot of money. It will undoubtedly cost the team more to work on short-term deals.

Let us get one thing across right now. Lincecum may not always be a Giants’ pitcher, and shot-term contracts make a lot of sense for him. Obviously, there is a lot of flexibility for him if he decides one day to pack it up and jump to another organization. He would not have to wait too long to make that move. A lot of players like stability, but having freedom can be just as favorable. In any case, it is not like Lincecum would be unable to sign with a team should a deal not be struck from year-to-year.

Plus, Lincecum stands to make more money on shorter deals than a long-term contract. He will be handed millions more each season through this method. The San Francisco Giants (or other teams) will have to pay an extra premium to keep him around to avoid having another club offer him more money. Of course, there is not much risk involved in signing an ace starting pitcher for one or two seasons when he shows very little downside. If he stays healthy each season, then he will end up earning more money than he would have through a big contract.

The team and the fans might want to see Tim Lincecum locked up for the next decade, but that is not going to happen. I highly doubt that “The Franchise” is going to dedicate himself to more than two years at any given time until he starts to show some decline later in his career. In reality, I do not think he is going to jump ship either though. He should stick around as long as the Giants continue to win games and give him the support he needs to wrack up his own wins. Lincecum should stay the “Franchise” for the years to come. However, he will just do so without a multi-year deal.

Who knows? The organization could give him enough money or enough of a reason to commit himself to three, four, or more years. Without a doubt, money or the right circumstances can change anyone’s mind. By the end of the offseason, Lincecum could be locked in with the team for many years. That is still an unlikely outcome though. He just seems like the kind of guy who would prefer to only commit bits and pieces of his time. In the end, that is not a huge deal for Tim Lincecum or the fans. The San Francisco Giants’ pocketbook might not like it too much though.

For more information, visit The San Francisco Giants Site .

Derrick Williams is a fan of the San Francisco Giants and lived in the Bay Area for nearly three years.

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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I think that it is as good of a time as ever to show thanks to some athletes. I would like to take a look at some San Francisco Giants players that we should all be thankful for. Of course, nearly everyone on the team deserves some praise, but I am only going to focus on five players.

These hitters and pitchers have done a lot for the team, so they should be recognized.

Madison Bumgarner(notes)

The thing I am most surprised at is how Bumgarner went through the 2011 season without making a fuss about how much the offense let him down. In fact, nearly a majority of his starts resulted in the team scoring one run or no runs—if I remember correctly. He was the biggest victim of the Giants’ offense and never said a word about it. Some games he would simply go out there and dominate opposing lineups for as long as it took the team to give him some run support for the win. Undoubtedly, it is hard not to respect him and how well he actually pitched during 2011.

Tim Lincecum(notes)

They do not call him “The Franchise” for no reason! Watching Lincecum pitch is electrifying and a spectacle to behold. Undoubtedly, anyone who has ever watched one of his multi-strikeout games knows what I am talking about. Seeing him dominate opposing lineups is a lot of fun, and I hope he does not stop doing so for the years to come.

Buster Posey(notes)

Sure, Posey missed the 2011 season due to injury, but his presence was missed. I enjoyed watching him flash power and smart defense during 2010. Of course, I cannot wait for him to return in 2012 so that he can get back on track. Things look bright for the young catcher to say the least. All that matters is that he comes back from this injury with his bat and defense intact. In reality, it is hard not to like the guy.

Sergio Romo(notes)

Romo has quietly been an elite reliever during the past few seasons. Perhaps he has been one of the best, too. Without a doubt, he is enjoyable to watch with his ridiculous knack for striking out batters. I would not be as excited during the later innings of games if he was not stepping up to the mound most of the time. He will be with the team for the next few seasons, and I am very thankful for that.

Pablo Sandoval(notes)

Finally, we come to “Kung Fu Panda,” who is undoubtedly the team’s MVP from this past season. He hit for the cycle and smacked the ball around almost all season. Dropping the weight during the previous offseason really helped him return to form. With that in mind, I am more than appreciative that he worked hard because it paid off on the field and in the batter’s box. It was and will continue to be a thrill to watch him play baseball.

What players are you thankful for?

Obviously, you might not be a fan of the San Francisco Giants, but you are more than likely a fan of one or more other teams. There are bound to be multiple players that you appreciate for doing what they do. For some people, there are hitters or pitchers that are the main reason they like a particular team or even the sport itself. On that note, feel free to show some thanks to the athletes you appreciate!

For more information, visit The San Francisco Giants Site.

Derrick Williams is a fan of the San Francisco Giants and lived in the Bay Area for nearly three years.

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Five Predictions For Aubrey Huff in 2012

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To say the least, Sergio Romo(notes) of the San Francisco Giants is an elite relief pitcher. In fact, he was one of the best relievers in the Majors during this past season. He debuted in 2008 and has not been around for long, but he is quickly establishing himself as a capable pitcher. That is nothing but good new for the team. Fortunately, the good times should continue into 2012 for Romo, so here are some predictions!

1. He will get more save opportunities during the regular season.

In the last couple seasons, Romo has been given the occasional save opportunity during close games when Brian Wilson(notes) is unavailable. He is 3-for-8 in career saves and will more than likely see more chances to prove himself capable of closing out games during 2012. There is no indication that the Giants are considering him for the role of closer, but it never hurts to give him a chance from time to time.

2. Romo’s WHIP will stay under 1.00, which is insane.

In 2011, his walks plus hits per innings pitched stood at an untouchable 0.71 and his career mark is 0.89. Both of those figures are absolutely fantastic. That stands as the lowest WHIP during the season for any pitcher with at least 20.0 innings pitched. Technically, it ties Stephen Strasburg(notes) of the Washington Nationals, but he appeared in only five games. Amusingly, they both sported a 1.50 ERA too. Expect Romo to stay under a 1.00 WHIP for the third time in his career.

3. Finally, he will appear in 70 games after almost reaching that mark in 2010 and 2011.

He appeared in 68 and 65 games in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Coming so close to the coveted 70 games played mark yet failing can be disappointing. However, Romo looks to be healthy in 2012 and should have no problem reaching that mark for the first time in his career as long as he avoids major injuries. That is just a testament to his durability and skill as a reliever.

4. Romo’s earned run average will stay under 2.00 for the second straight season.

No, he did not lead all MLB relievers with his 1.50 ERA in 2011, but that does not matter. Romo should have no trouble keeping his earned run average under 2.00 again. He is an elite pitcher that knows how to get batters out. Plus, he almost never walks or hits batters, so nobody is getting a free base. Obviously, that is going to stop runners from crossing the plate when he is on the mound.

5. His strikeout-to-walk ratio will decrease slightly.

Somehow, Romo posted a 14:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio this past season. He issued 70 strikeouts in only 48.0 innings and only allowed 5 walks. The guy did not even hit a single batter either. Undoubtedly, those numbers are astounding, but he probably will not be able to repeat such a performance. I would expect the ratio to decrease in 2012 even if only by a little. His ratio should still be around 13:1 at the very least though. Of course, nobody is complaining about a slight decline in that area since he strikes out so many and walks so few.

Sergio Romo is going to be dominant for the San Francisco Giants again.

In the end, all that matters is that Romo is going to be an elite reliever for San Francisco for another season. He is nowhere near free agency, so the team will have him at a low rate for the next few seasons. That is perhaps the best deal you are going to find out there. Without a doubt, it will be difficult for him to improve upon such an impeccable season in 2012, but he might have it in him to do exactly that.

For more information, visit The San Francisco Giants Site .

Derrick Williams is a fan of the San Francisco Giants and lived in the Bay Area for nearly three years.

More From Yahoo! Sports:

Five Predictions For Aubrey Huff in 2012

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Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

San Francisco Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt is healing well from a season-ending hand injury sustained when he seriously cut himself trying to separate frozen hamburgers.

Affeldt said Wednesday he expects to be done wearing a protective brace on his non-throwing right hand soon, perhaps in the coming days. He will fly from his home in Spokane, Wash., to the Bay Area on Thursday to be examined by a hand specialist and physical therapist. They will gauge his progress and determine the next step.

“Hopefully I’m done with it,” he said of the brace. “I’ll know tomorrow.”

Affeldt was at home on an off day Sept. 8 when the paring knife he was using pushed through a hamburger patty and deep into his hand. He came within a millimeter of an artery and underwent surgery about eight hours after the injury to repair nerve damage in his pinkie.

“My hand is great,” said Affeldt, who will begin his offseason throwing program in December. “The workouts are good and I started already. I figured I got September off.”

Affeldt has a $5 million contract option for 2012 and general manager Brian Sabean has said the pitcher will probably be back, even if it means declining the option and working out a new deal. Affeldt said he will let his agent handle all negotiations with the 2010 World Series champions.

“I expect him to be in uniform with us next year,” Sabean said when the season ended. “I don’t know exactly how that’s going to happen, but the option is the option. If we have to pick it up, we could end up picking it up. If we decide to re-negotiate in some form, that could happen, too.”

The lefty went 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA and three saves in 67 outings this season. He had given up only three earned runs over his last 22 1-3 innings before the injury and his 1.21 ERA since the All-Star break was seventh-lowest among NL relievers with a minimum of 20 innings.

There isn’t a rehab regimen for Affeldt’s injury and he should be at full strength for the start of spring training in February. Getting the surgery done immediately was important.

Injured catcher Buster Posey, meanwhile, is on schedule to be ready by spring training. As was the goal for this month, he is catching bullpens in Arizona as part of his rehab from a broken bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle. He was hurt and lost for the season in a home-plate collision with Florida’s Scott Cousins on May 25.

“Buster is well,” athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said in a text message. “He has caught four pens so far.”

ATLANTA — San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson was ruled out for the series finale against the Atlanta Braves because of an ailing elbow, the latest worry for the defending World Series champions.

Giants trainer Dave Groeschner said Wilson was getting extensive treatment and put his status as day to day. But the right-hander was definitely unavailable for Thursday night’s game against the Braves.

Wilson reported the pain after blowing a save Monday night. He gave up three runs in the ninth as the Braves pulled out a 5-4 victory.

Wilson flew to Pensacola, Fla., on Wednesday to get his elbow checked out by Dr. James Andrews, who performed major elbow surgery on the reliever eight years ago.

Andrews found no major problems, sending Wilson back to Atlanta with a recommendation of rest and treatment. But he will continue to monitor Wilson’s progress by telephone.

“Any time a guy says his elbow is tight and sore, you always worry about that,” Groeschner said. “I think Brian has the ultimate respect for Dr. Andrews, as do we. It was good for him to go see the man, put his mind at ease a little bit, too.”

Persuaded that Wilson won’t be out for an extended period, the Giants decided not to put him on the disabled list right away.

“He’s our closer,” the trainer said. “He’s the best guy we’ve got in the bullpen. Even if it takes a few extra days, we’d rather have him. If (the DL was) what we’d gotten from Dr. Andrews, we would have done it. But that wasn’t his recommendation.”

Still, there’s no timetable on when Wilson might be able to pitch again.

“He has a remarkable ability to recover, so I wouldn’t put anything past him,” Groeschner said. “But we also need to make sure he’s healthy.”

On Monday, the Giants placed outfielder Carlos Beltran and pitcher Sergio Romo on the DL. They already lost catcher Buster Posey, last year’s NL Rookie of the Year, to a season-ending injury.

___

AP freelancer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.