The St. Louis Cardinals finally made a move to upgrade their pitching staff. They missed out on David Price and saw John Lacky head to the Windy City. The Cardinals agreed to a five-year contract worth $80 million with pitcher Mike Leake. What kind of move is this for the Cardinals?
Leake has played in Major League Baseball for six years. He began his career with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. He went 8-4 with and ERA of 4.25 with 91 strikeouts. His best year with the Reds was in 2013 when he went 14-7 with an ERA of 3.37 and added 122 strikeouts. Last year, Leake started out with the Reds and was dealt on July 31st to the San Francisco Giants for a pair of prospects. He was 11-10 with 119 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.70. His contract was up and the Giants didn’t want to keep him.
The Cardinals wanted to improve their pitching rotation. Leake was available and they decided to sign him. According to ESPN, Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said, “When the offseason is unfolding, different options pop up. When this did, we decided it made a lot of sense. I do think it makes the Cardinals stronger.”
The Cardinals needed pitching help. Leake may not be a pitcher who will win 20 games a season but 10 to 14. The Cardinals have a pitcher who should be the number three starter. Leake has the ability not only to eat up innings, but should be able to strike batters out. He will add to the rotation of Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez. This isn’t as big of a splash as David Price but it’s still a solid move.
What do you think of the Cardinals signing Mike Leake?
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