CINCINNATI —Manager Bruce Bochy said it was “fair to say” the Giants’ interest in Tim Lincecum is higher than it was at spring training because Chris Heston, who was supposed to be the team’s long reliever, struggled in the role and is now working as a starter at Triple-A Sacramento.
However, Bochy would not say whether the struggles of fourth and fifth starters Jake Peavy and Matt Cain would factor into how aggressively the Giants pursue the two-time Cy Young winner.
General manager Bobby Evans reitrated Monday that the Giants would sign Lincecum only as a reliever, which has been their stance ever since they added Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to a rotation that already in included Peavy, Cain and Madison Bumgarner
“His preference is to start,” Bochy said.