Mike Leake Traded to Arizona Diamondbacks
Mike Leake, a right-handed starting pitcher, has been acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return, the Seattle Mariners received infield prospect Jose Caballero. Ken Rosenthal was first to report the trade.
#DBacks acquire Mike Leake, source tells The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019
Mike Leake 2019 Season
Positives
Leake can eat up some innings. Going into Tuesday’s games, Leake is tied for 12th in the AL in innings pitched. He has two complete games with one shutout on the year. In an era of baseball that features more relievers, his two complete games lead the AL. Additionally, his outstanding BB/9 is good for first in MLB.
Drawbacks
While Leake has his positives, he also has some blemishes. He struggles with the long ball. He has given up 25 home runs so far this year, tied for second in all of baseball. His HR/9 stands at 1.7, the worst mark of his career.
His Home/Away splits are vastly different. Seattle’s ballpark (T-Mobile Park) is pitcher-friendly, and Leake has definitely reaped the benefits. Only five of Leake’s 25 homers allowed have come at home, helping his ERA jump to 5.60 on the road and 3.01 at home. As the tables below show, opponents BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, and WHIP are drastically better at T-Mobile Park.
| Split | G | PA | 2B | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | BAbip | tOPS+ | sOPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 10 | 275 | 16 | .251 | .269 | .375 | .644 | .291 | 67 | 72 |
| Away | 11 | 275 | 19 | .293 | .332 | .598 | .931 | .293 | 134 | 138 |
| Split | W | L | ERA | GS | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | WHIP | SO9 | SO/W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 7 | 2 | 3.01 | 10 | 68.2 | 67 | 23 | 5 | 7 | 50 | 1.078 | 6.6 | 7.14 |
| Away | 2 | 6 | 5.60 | 11 | 62.2 | 76 | 39 | 20 | 12 | 48 | 1.404 | 6.9 | 4.00 |
Overall
Leake is not a sexy acquisition, but he can provide residual value to the Diamondbacks by saving the bullpen. He carries a 4.40 ERA, 99 ERA+, and 4.74 FIP. Now that he is in Chase Field, he will likely regress from his overall stat line.
| Year | Tm | W | L | ERA | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA+ | FIP | WHIP | H9 | HR9 | BB9 | SO9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | SEA | 9 | 8 | 4.40 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 137 | 153 | 67 | 26 | 19 | 100 | 99 | 4.74 | 1.255 | 10.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 6.6 |
Mike Leake – Salary Situation
Cash considerations play a prominent role in this deal. Leake is owed $15 million in 2020 and either $18 million in 2021 or a $5 million buyout. This year, Leake is earning $16 million. The St. Louis Cardinals are paying $5 million towards his salary this year and $4 million next year.
Because of his high salary, the Diamondbacks are hoping he performs more like he has at T-Mobile Park than he has on the road.
Main Photo:
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