Arizona Diamondbacks Interested in Mike Leake?
It’s no secret that the Arizona Diamondbacks will be in the market for starting pitching this offseason. However, we now know a name that the D-backs are rumored to be pursuing once the Major League season ends. According to Bob Nightengale at USA Today, Mike Leake is on the team’s radar along with his current team, the San Francisco Giants. Leake was traded to the Giants by the Cincinnati Reds on July 30th in exchange for Adam Duvall and Minor League pitcher Keury Mella.
The #SFGiants and #Dbacks each have strong interest in signing Mike Leake as a free agent. He pitched his first career shutout Wednesday.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 1, 2015
More from Venom Strikes
- Happy Thanksgiving Diamondbacks Fans! We have lots to be thankful for!
- The perfect holiday gifts for the Arizona Diamondbacks fan
- Diamondbacks make some BIG 40-man roster Moves
- About time! Diamondbacks to now provide housing for Minor League players
- What is the Rule 5 Draft? How does it impact Diamondbacks?
The 27-year old right-hander has been a solid starter over the course of his six year Major League career. He has averaged 32 starts over the last four seasons with an ERA in the mid-to upper 3’s and owns a lifetime mark of 64-52 with a 3.88 ERA. He was a bit of a disappointment with the Giants, going 2-5 with a 4.07 ERA in nine starts as the club failed to return to the playoffs. His best year came in 2013 when he went 14-7 with a 3.37 ERA in 31 games. His lifetime numbers are even better when you consider he spent almost his entire time in the Majors at Great American Ball Park, a place not especially kind to pitchers.
Perhaps working in the D-backs’ favor is that Leake went to college at Arizona St. The Reds selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2009 Draft after his Junior season. While not the ace D-backs’ can get worked up about, he is a dependable arm that has the potential to make 30 starts and 200 innings, two qualities the current rotation lacks.