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Brilliance is hard to define. It’s a subjective term, really. Kind of a one-man’s-trash-is-another’s-treasure thing.

There’s no denying that Tim Lincecum is a brilliant pitcher, though, by virtually any standard.

At the most fundamental of levels, he straight-up dominates. In my 12-plus years of covering the big leagues, I’m not sure I’ve come across a pitcher so universally feared among his peers.

Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez are on the short list. Tim Hudson in his prime, too.

Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia and others of that elite ilk? Respected and revered, to be sure. Feared, though? Not quite like The Freak.

And Lincecum does more than just dominate his opponents. He dominates the highlight shows on the nights he pitches. He dominates at stadium turnstiles on those nights, too. And whethere he’s on the bump that day or not, he dominates — his likeness, anyway — at concession stands.

He’s an event unto himself — hence the nickname “Franchise.” He truly is a franchise player, a once-in-a-generation combination of talent, understated charisma and mass appeal that transforms the organization blessed enough to call him its own.

As such, Lincecum deserves special treatment. Part of his appeal is that he doesn’t demand special treatment, a la Barry Bonds, but he definitely deserves it.

So of course locking in Lincecum for as long as possible is at the top of the Giants’ agenda this winter. An article that appeared Tuesday on a national website created a bit of a stir by suggesting as much, and that’s a bit baffling because any fan of the Orange and Black likely read the piece and responded with a resounding, “Duh.”

As long as there’s a shot at keeping Lincecum in Orange and Black, that should and will be at the top of the agenda. He’s that good.

As to what it will take to keep him around, the answer is in the hands of Brian Sabean and, more important, in the wallets of every member of the Giants’ ownership group.

Lincecum is eligible for arbitration again this winter, and if he doesn’t sign a long-term deal, he’ll be eligible for arbitration again — for the last time — next winter. The last time he was eligible, two offseasons ago, he and the Giants came to terms on a two-year deal that paid him a total of $23 million for 2010 and 2011.

He was an All-Star, the MVP of the playoffs and a world champion in 2010. He was an All-Star again in 2011, and while boneheads who don’t know the game might look at his 12-13 record and think he had an off year, the fact is that his 2.74 ERA and 1.21 WHIP this past season were mere ticks over the 2.62/1.17 he posted while picking up the first of his consecutive Cy Young awards in 2008.

Therefore, most projections for Lincecum put his 2012 salary — should it go to arbitration — in the $18-22 million range. Should he sign for a one-year deal in that ritzy neighborhood and put together another Lincecum-ish season, his 2013 number would jump another $5 million or so. Maybe more.

Bottom line, Lincecum is going to get paid one way or another. He’ll get paid a ton. But is this a man motivated by money or by winning championships? That seems to have been answered in his suggestion that he’ll go year-to-year if need be.

It’s occasionally foolhardy to try to read much into someone else’s words, but from here those words easily translate into this:
“I don’t need you to show me the money. I’ll get mine. If you want me to drop anchor here, show me the offense.”

As things stand today, with nearly three months to the day until pitchers and catcher report to Scottsdale, Lincecum hasn’t been shown much in that regard. Melky Cabrera and nothing else. No Carlos Beltran, no Jimmy Rollins, no Prince Fielder, etc. Just Melky Cabrera, and that’s not going to do it.

So while the Giants have, Sabean told me Tuesday, exchanged “ideas” with Lincecum regarding his contractual options going forward, the chances of getting Timmy to commit to a multi-year deal this winter appear to be slim. The Giants have been suggesting since the season ended that they probably won’t be major players in free agency, which is why Sabean told me weeks ago that he was open to trading a pitcher to add to the offense, and he did that with the Cabrera deal, which sent mercurial Jonathan Sanchez to Kansas City.

Looking for a bigger offensive splash than that, Giants fans? You’re likely to be disappointed. Right now the plan for offensive improvement seems centered on the notion of Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez returning healthy and productive, another big year from Pablo Sandoval, and finger-crossing that Aubrey Huff and Brandon Belt provide the kind of punch they were expected to provide in 2011.

By the way, don’t discount Brett Pill in the aforementioned scenario. A pretty good source told me recently that Huff might be moved to left field — barring another trade — while Belt and Pill form a left-right platoon at first base, with Cabrera in center field (and Cody Ross and Andres Torres unlikely to return). Ideally, Belt would claim the job at first outright, and if you’re wondering why he’d be there and not Huff, it’s because both are average defensively in left field, but Belt plays Gold Glove-caliber D at first and Huff is merely average there, too.

Belt is the future at first base, anyway, so might as well start the future now while Huff plays out what’s sure to be his last year in San Francisco.

Pardon the digression. Back to Lincecum, who couldn’t be blamed for looking at the prospect of dramatically increased run support next season and think:
“Lot of hope in that equation. I’ll take my $20 million for the year and see how things play out.”

That might make Giants fans a bit nervous, but it shouldn’t. Remember, Lincecum is under club control for 2013, too. And by then the bloated contracts of Huff and Aaron Rowand will be off the books; that’s more than $20 million that could go toward another, far bigger bat than Melky Cabrera could ever dream of representing.

Perhaps we’re oversimplifying here, but the point is that there’s a lot of time between now and the end of the 2013 season, and if the Giants can’t get Lincecum to sign on for a longer tour this winter, they have all of next winter — and the entire 2013 season — to keep trying.

And who knows? If the apparent plan for 2012 comes together just right, Lincecum might be looking at two rings on his fingers and another Cy on the shelf before he’s even free to hit the market. If that’s the case, why hit it at all?

Just have a little patience, Giants fans. The Franchise isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.