The Diamondbacks have worked out a last-minute deal for Mariners righty Mike Leake, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Infield prospect Jose Caballero is going to Seattle in return, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Arizona is taking on only $6MM of Leake’s remaining obligations, according to John Gambadoro of ArizonaSports.com.
It’s been a precipitous drop for the 31-year-old Leake, who’s now accrued nearly 1,800 big-league innings since debuting straight from Arizona State in 2010. Leake’s walk and strikeout rates have remained mostly intact, but he hasn’t been able to withstand the league-wide homer onslaught this season, having allowed an easily-career-high 1.71 per nine in 137 IP thus far. His average fastball velocity’s cratered to a career-worst 88.3 MPH, though the always-crafty mix-and-match artist has adjusted: his cutter and changeup, long his go-to out pitches, have each seen an uptick in usage, with the former being deployed nearly 27% of the time at current.
Leake’s park-adjusted peripherals still place firmly in the fourth/fifth starter range – thanks mostly to a string of sterling outings in the latter half of this month – and his presence should stabilize the back half of a Diamondbacks rotation that’s leaned heavily on the mostly ineffective arms of Taylor Clarke and Merrill Kelly of late. After the trade of Zack Greinke to the Astros, Leake will line up with the newly-acquired Zac Gallen, the still-here Robbie Ray, and some combination of Clarke, Kelly, and rookie Alex Young, whose peripherals lag far behind the 2.51 ERA he’s posted in his first six big-league outings.
It’s perhaps a bit chastening for the M’s, who acquired the righty from the Cardinals in a now-defunct August swap two seasons ago, to recoup only $6MM from the some $25MM remaining (through 2020) on the his deal. Caballero, 22, didn’t assert himself as a top organizational prospect for the Snakes, so the swap mostly seems centered around the marginal amount saved and opportunity for the club to insert a young hurler, perhaps lefty Justus Sheffield, into its rotation for the remainder of ’19. Righty Matt Wisler, acquired after being designated for assignment by San Diego, should also be afforded a look: the one-time top prospect has finally flashed the bat-missing stuff that was so often absent from his repertoire in seasons past.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
The deal that was gonna happen over a month ago finally happened
Ownership finally realized that any savings is money in the bank as they weren’t going to be good during his tenure. Might as well get younger. He was a good innings eater though and somewhat underrated.
Headscratcher that the D-backs were the trade partner, though, and then traded away Greinke hours later.
Trading away Greinke means you’re in full rebuild. Why would you trade FOR Leake???
They need depth. It’s pretty obvious. He’s a good innings eater and he’s from there. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play a lot better in Arizona
They saved money dealing Greinke, who would’ve been wasted during Arizona’s rebuild, and Arizona gets a veteran for the younger guys. No one is really expecting Leake to win a Cy Young.
Prevents the clock from ticking on Arizona’s young arms
I figured Leake would go to the Yankees. I was wrong. Yankees shut out at the deadline. They must be waving the white flag.
From first place?
What the heck do the DBacks want Leake for?
They just traded greinke that’s why
That makes sense, but I wonder how AZ justified a 2020 commitment of approx. 16M to him – maybe Seattle is picking up part of that tab
Most of it most likely
Arizona is only picking up $6M of Leake’s contract.
$6M too much if they traded away Greinke.
Cardinals are still paying some of this yrs salary also….
Why?
Makes sense now.
They did what?
That only took a month to report lol
Ok. Just noticed this on MLB Network but the host guy (forgot his name) is insanely spray tanned. Like Jesus Christ, that’s kinda disturbing.
i got his autograph at an astros game.
why they gotta trade him to the dbacks..
Good. They can now send some guys back to Reno.
Ohhhh another bucket of balls for the Ms
Just like Kelenic, Dunn, Crawford, Fraley and Then.
What did you expect lol
Flip zach and squire leake ? Why ?
Jose Caballero…any good?
2B who is outside the Dbacks top 30
Arizona is only picking up $6M of Leake’s contract.
Source for the money part? If that’s true, I don’t like the deal from Ms perspective. They’ll be paying $14M to get a flyer prospect while having to cover a lot of innings for their troubles.
Probably why ownership diddnt like it either.
Multiple AZ beat writers. Mariners are also covering the 2021 buyout.
STL still on hook for 4M next season I believe, anything the DBacks pick up will be money saved for the M’s on a guy not in future plans, If M’s chip in 10M of remaining 16M contract(15M next year + 5M buyout for 2021 – STL 4M portion), they still are saving 6M and add a decent prospect(ranked #22 at Prospects1500) Really did the best they could here with the no-trade clause, pretty much did Mike a solid letting him go back home! Maybe this new guy can be a diamond in the rough or at least help push Shed to his next level!
wow thats cheap. go dbacks
Sun Devil back home in the desert, sure Mike is beyond happy.
So Dbacks only paying $6M. So thats like Seattle paying the rest of his 2019 salary, and ALL but $1M of his 2020 salary. So Dbacks are getting Leake for only $1M the rest of this year and 2020. Because you can bet Seattle doesn’t want any money on the books come 2021 when they want to compete…so you can bet $5M of the DBacks money will be dished out in 2021 for his $5M option.. All for a non-ranked fringe prospect.
WOW…EVERY team in MLB (EVEN NON-CONTENDERS) should have been jumping on the bandwagon to grab Leake in this type of package. Good flipping grief! Then we are paying 99% of Bruces contract for the Philly’s for the next 2 years, and only had Yankees pay 1/2 of EE’s contract $8M for the most powerful HR hitter avail in MLB. Even the Twins dished out like $16m for Cruz’s power like EE.
Well, all I have to say is that AT LEAST the Mariners were able to Fleece someone in this rebuild with Kelenic & Dunn. I guess you can’t win all the trades your team does. Ugh
Leake had a full no trade clause. Perhaps the DBacks were one of very few teams he was willing to waive his ntc for.
He’s an ex-Sun Devil who practically begged the DBacks to sign him at a hometown discount when he became a FA a couple years back.
I believe his Dad (or someone very close to him) is sick. This move gets him closer to home which allows him to spend more time with his family
Leake acquired, more urinalysis to come.
All kidding aside, as a Mariners fan I enjoyed watching him pitch. Best of luck to him with Arizona, and I’m happy for him that he can still do what he loves doing while being closer to his family.
Have to also remember that the mariners do not have any money issues. The team can sustain up to 175mil. With 2020 being a inbetween year they will have all the money they will ever need in 2021. I do expect them to go hard after Garrett cole this off season. They need a legit ace.