Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake is planning to opt out of participating in the 2020 season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports (via Twitter). Leake becomes the first known player to choose not to play amid public health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, although others will surely follow suit.
D-backs general manager Mike Hazen has confirmed the decision, tweets Zach Buchanan of The Athletic. The details surrounding Leake’s decision aren’t known, nor need they be shared. As Hazen went on to tell reporters: “I think those conversations are personal in nature” (Twitter link via the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro). Leake’s agent, Danny Horwits, offered the following statement (via ESPN’s Jeff Passan):
During this global pandemic, Mike and his family had many discussions about playing this season. They took countless factors into consideration, many of which are personal to him and his family. After thorough consideration, he has chosen to opt out of playing in 2020. This was not an easy decision for Mike. He wishes the best of luck and health for his Diamondback teammates this season and he’s looking forward to 2021.
Leake, 32, was in the final season of a five-year, $80MM contract originally signed with the Cardinals — although he’s since been traded to Seattle and then Arizona. He’d have earned a prorated $16MM salary this season — about $5.5MM — and had a $5MM buyout on an option for the 2021 season. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Leake will not be paid in 2020, which suggests that his decision is not due to concerns about his own health but rather the health of close-proximity family and loved ones. Under the agreement reached between the league and union last week, only players who are deemed high-risk themselves are entitled to receive salary and service time after opting out.
Under the terms of Leake’s previous trades, the Cardinals were set to pay $4MM to the Mariners this season to cover a portion of Leake’s salary. The Mariners, meanwhile, were on the hook for as much of $9MM of Leake’s salary, which was to be paid to the D-backs in deferred installments. Those payments will now presumably be forgiven. As for the $5MM buyout on Leake’s 2021 option, that does not pertain to the 2020 season and should therefore still remain on the table. The Mariners are also responsible for that sum under the terms of last summer’s trade.
With Leake suddenly and unexpectedly out of the rotation picture in Arizona, the D-backs will likely rely on the quartet of Madison Bumgarner, Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver to lead the rotation. Merrill Kelly could be in line to retake the fifth spot, although he’ll face some competition from younger arms like Alex Young, Jon Duplantier and, if healthy, Corbin Martin. Arizona will also have a 40-man roster spot opened up with Leake no longer occupying a spot.
luckily Arizona has strong SP depth. advantage Young or Clarke
Duplantier is way before Clarke. Young will see innings though
Duplantier has problems throwing strikes. He looks like a reliever.
Leake will be using this time off to perfect his shoplifting skills
He is a thief and a loser
He gets paid whether he plays or not, right?
I don’t think so. I think you only are compensated if you’re considered high risk but if you don’t have a special exemption and you opt out for personal or family reasons then you don’t get paid.
He clearly feels he or another family member is high risk or he wouldn’t opt out.
If he doesn’t get paid, does his contract just push back a year?
No. If he’s opting to go unpaid, he simply won’t receive the money and the contract will expire, as it was set to at season’s end. Whether he’s paid depends on whether he himself is high-risk or whether he’s opting out due to concerns regarding family, loved ones, etc.
Just out of curiosity, would a decision like this impact CBT calculations?
If he opts out, I do not believe he receives service time. It could be he’d rather receive that inflated salary in full next year, or a third of it this year.
He clearly thinks that it’s high risk to play.
So if his contract doesn’t roll over wouldn’t it make sense for a player who believes they’re underpaid to opt out and get out of that low salary?
But he still gets the 5M buyout if they decline the option correct?
@94yankees Yes
He’ll get his money. Every player is only one degree of separation of someone who is high risk.
I can’t see the owners fighting this and winning. If the vast majority of players play, they shouldn’t.
The one degree separation doesn’t get you paid.
That wasn’t the agreement put forth. If the player himself is not high-risk, he doesn’t get paid. That has nothing to do with anyone else in the players life.
No they only get paid if they are high risk. If it is family or friends they do not get paid or service time if they choose not to play. It has already been negotiated.
Halo: YET another stupid comment. Where is your source on “one degree” of separation?
You want to live in fear? Fine, go do so in your own house….keep the stupidity and false narratives off of here.
You would think, at your age, you would have learned that by now.
Thanks for finally saying it. Personal choice over controlling others. No one….no one is guaranteed tomorrow so live today.
Surprising as it may sound, what you do today can affect your chances of a tomorrow
If he’s higher risk. Don’t think he is though…
Maybe not but his ill and aging Father most definitely is. Leake chose to pitch for AZ to be closer to his Dad and I’m sure this decision is driven by the ongoing care of his Dad.
How so did he choose to pitch for AZ? Did he have to approve the trade?
Nice to be able to say: $5 million? Forgettablouit.
Did you even read the article? Like seriously? Pay attention!!
Have to do what you believe is best for yourself/your family.
When you have been paid over $94 million dollars for a mediocre career it is easy to opt out of a potential $5.5 million.
atomic……Isn’t it actually $10.5 Million?
If he opts out now……I don’t believe that he has an option left to “exercise” or collect the $5M buyout.
That’s what it SOUNDS like to me…………Thoughts?
He didn’t opt out of next year’s contract, just this year. He still has the option for 2021.
Okay then. “When you have been paid over $94 million dollars for a mediocre career it is easy to opt out of a potential ($10.5) million.”
5 million or 10 million really doesn’t matter when you have 94 million. At some point all it becomes is a slightly bigger pile. I guess he will just have to live without upgrading his yacht this year.
After taxes. It’s leake’s last serious payday and he gave it up. He has every right to do it but it’s a big financial loss. Some guys don’t care about collecting more cash when they don’t want to do something. His choice.
Is he giving up his 15 million? Last year of his contract except for a mutual option
No, he would earn a prorated portion of a 16 million dollar contract, so about 5.5 million. It’s in the article.
Plus his $5M buyout……..I think.
Nope..he doesn’t get paid this year. The opt out, yes. It’s in the article
Respect to Mike Leake, still so much uncertainty regarding the season.
Agreed! I hope this helps inspire others who were thinking of opting out but didn’t want to be the first to do so.
Mariners and Cardinals are probably pretty happy about this.
But good on Mike Leake. Clearly the risk wasn’t worth the prorated reward.
As one of the better-hitting pitchers in the NL, he’s siting out in protest of the DH. Well, that and COVID.
I’m sure that’s it. He was an excellent 1-for-21 last year with only 11 K’s.
That’s only one hit better than I would do. I’m so close.
There’s going to be plenty of players following suite, especially those with young kids or pregnant wives. It sucks, but I don’t blame the players at all.
I sure hope no Reds players opt out.
When he came to AZ he said his father was in poor health, and that’s why he wanted to play here for years leading up to the trade. so im sure that is a big part of this
Exactly! It was difficult for Seattle to trade Mike Leake considering they had very few options. If I’m not mistaken when Seattle was trying to trade Mike Leake he had a very short list of teams he’d play for because he wanted to be nearer to his (ill and aging) Father. The health of his Father is more important than money. Good for him.
Players only have good choices. I’m glad he has the option of opting out.
A mother and father who are sending their kids to school this fall have much harder choices than almost any major league player.
A family trying to pay the mortgage/rent have much harder choices.
His choice is relatively simple.
So true Halo. You know how scary the thought of sending my kids back to school is? Or the thought I might get sick, die and leave my kids by themselves. All of my family is old and their mom gone. These are dark times.
I’m sorry that you are in that situation, CowboysoldierFTW. As a teacher, it breaks my heart to think that families are struggling over the decision to send kids back to school. I totally understand, as I am planning to return to campus in August if we restart under a hybrid model (as opposed to staying with full-time distance learning; full re-open with no restrictions seems to be off the table), but I am anxious about it nonetheless. I love my work and I am excited about the thought of teaching in person; my anxiety is 100% COVID-related.
I don’t think he needs to explain himself for choosing not to play. Every player has that right, and have to accept whatever consequence derives from it. I think some (non-contending) teams might be happy to offload the salary.
Im hoping Nick Markakis will be the next to opt out.
Interesting. I know he was so excited to play in AZ.
Nice to have millions in the bank. Glad he’s not throwing his batting practice for my Dbacks. This virus is making people dumb. We’ve always had dangers of sickness. This one is killing less healthy people than the normal flu. But listen to “experts” like Bill Gates. Yet I have way more education than him.
I’ll listen to the experts’ advice any day over the racist in charge
Damn you just walked right into homerheins’ rake.
Grow up
Lol at “grow up” – listening to experts is somehow immature to you.
Mindsets like yours = one reason we have 6% of the world population and over 20% of its COVID cases
When did Gates get a medical degree?. Also show me an expert who has conflicted financial interests, and I would hesitate to take his word as gospel
No, you spent more time in school than he did. Don’t confuse that with having more education.
It should be “fewer healthy people” and not “less healthy people”. Also, “more education than he”, and not “more education than him”. (This criticism assumes that you are you are writing in English.) I doubt that people who truly have “more education than Bill Gates” routinely make these mistakes when writing. Moreover, people like you are the reason that we are one of the few first world nations that has not yet defeated covid19.
Glad I got in your puny head. Writing on a phone and not concerned about grammar. I am sure you use perfect grammar every time you speak and write and you probably spent a hour on your post. You are a sad little person that thinks he knows everything about everyone. Nothing I said is false. While so much about you is disingenuous. I am writing this with a smile and enjoying life within a few minutes while a passenger of a car ride in-between my law practice work, while you live bored at of your mind that you have to critique grammar.
Are we comparing head sizes? Your use of the word “sad” indicates that you simply parrot the inanities of of our president. Why do you claim to be sure about who I am, how long I spent composing my post and what I think? Are you clairvoyant? I have advanced degrees from a major school of public health, with a specialty in biostatistics. Virtually every one of your claims is ill-informed at best. There is nothing humorous in your remarks. The virus is no laughing matter. I do agree that Bill Gates is not an expert in epidemiology. Let’s just play ball instead of argue. I’m looking forward to the 2020 season.
You state “virtually every one of your claims is ill informed at best,” yet focus on grammar. What claim is wrong? I don’t see a fact statement that isn’t provable fact.
Yes, people who type as many words and put in as much thought correcting grammar have spent way too much time on a forum. You’re the Karen of forums. But I am glad I am able to keep your life meaningful.
Who’s listening to Bill Gates? I’m listening to epidemiologists, who have more expertise than you, but nice straw man you built there *eyeroll*
Is it really a good argument when you claim that you have much more education than someone who is WAY more successful than you? All that could show is that he did more with less and you squandered a lot of people’s effort to help you.
Anyone can have a good invention. Nonetheless why would anyone listen to Dr. Billy Gates?
@homerheins is gunna get covid and its gunna be SO sweet LOLOLOL
rooting for anyone to get a virus is pretty $#@tty
Agree
First of many. Every team will likely have at least one player take a pass, with the slim likelihood of getting through the season without any shutdowns.
Makes sense from this point of view. You are a FA after this year. Why risk injury in an abbreviated season with a short ST for a measly 5.5 million when you have 5 million coming to you next year over and beyond what you receive as a FA
I would think other players entering a FA season would consider doing likewise. Even w/o injury get off to a slow start and your numbers will never recover due to lack of games, and your value plummets.
The data is very clear now. Covid is simply not more than a flu for younger people.
This doesn’t make financial sense at all. Don’t argue that it does. There’s a strong chance Mike Leake will never see 5.5 million bucks for a single season again. (And certainly not 5.5 million bucks for 60 games of baseball) He was entitled to that 5 million dollar buyout regardless of what he decided this year. Not playing baseball for an entire season kills your value just as bad, if not worse, as getting off to a slow start. Teams will now have not seen him pitch for a full season entering FA.
He didn’t want to play for health concerns for him and/or his family—- that’s all good. He’s earned the right to make the decision.
It just isn’t a good one from a financial aspect in the slightest. But there’s more than just money.
It makes perfect financial sense if your job is tied into your arm and if you hurt your arm in some asterisk fake third-of-a-season season causing you to miss a full 2021 real-deal season. Even if he can’t get a multi-year deal, he’s at least getting 1/$5M in 2021, for instance Leake in SD would be amazing, he’d easily parlay a strong season with a lot of innings into a multi-year deal. But also he might be able to still get a multi-year deal after missing 2020. You are wrong. Arrogant and wrong and wrong and wrong. Stop talking. You don’t know enough about what you talk about to be this arrogant. Bye.
The Padres 2021 rotation options:
Dinelson Lamet, Joey lucchesi, Cal Quantrill, Mackenzie Gore, Zach Davies, Chris Paddack, Morejon, Baez
Before they consider adding ***an actually impactful starter****
What were you saying about a smooth brain?
Absolute buffoon.. No facts necessary if Strike Four has an agenda at hand.
“a measly 5.5 million”
LOL
5.5 million is not insignificant and if Mike Leake didn’t want to pitch this season because of health concerns it’s highly unlikely that things will be significantly better next season.
Even if he did want to, he’s a 33 year old pitcher, that had part of his contract paid for this season by 3 different baseball teams. He’s certainly never going to get 5.5 million bucks for 60 games worth of work. He might not for a full 150 at this point in his career. 3-5 years would be a highly optimistic outlook, even if we were in normal times, for a 33 year old pitcher who showed signs of slowing down.
Again, all of those stats you’re listing he did at age 32 and younger. He showed signs of slowing down w the D’backs last season. He’s now 33 and will not have pitched an inning in over a year. He just opted out of 5.5 million dollars.
The league’s revenues have been slashed by the pandemic. Teams aren’t going to being handing out contracts like they have been next season with so much uncertainty around. And like I said before, if Leake’s motivation for opting out was purely health reasons this year—-there’s a very high probability that those same health issues would be a problem next year. Almost no chance that there’s a covid vaccine on the shelf before the start of the 2021 baseball season.
If he didn’t want to play 60 for 5.5–he probably isn’t going to want to play 162 for 5 million. I find it hard to believe he’s going to get himself much more guaranteed than that.
What are you just making up things I said?
He can get a job buddy. He’s going to get less money by not pitching this year. Period. He gave up 5.5 million dollars. That’s his choice, but it’s going to hurt his earnings potential in free agency. Don’t move the goalposts.
He’s not a 25 year old kid who was going to make 500K bucks. That’s real money for a dude who has exited his prime. He’s made enough to walk away but it doesn’t make it a “smart” financial decision.
My statement on Mike Leake’s salary, “ he’s never going to get 5.5 million for 60 games”
Mike Leake will never make 16.5 million dollars in a season again. I’d say there’s about 99.9% chance that statement comes true.
“Mike Leake Might not get 5.5 for 162.”
Plausible at this point. Not a definitive statement. He could make that much money again but it isn’t likely to come next season fully guaranteed.
What’s the problem?
I really like when the smooth-brains on here see a guy’s salary on baseball-reference or wherever, and then uses that exact number to mean “he has THIS much money”, instead of first subtracting agent cut, taxes, other fees etc from the amount.
MLB owners and media have brainwashed yall, so hard. You really do think a player who signs a contract for $15M a year gets all $15M, huh? OF course you don’t. You KNOW it’s not that much, yet you still do it? So why do you do this? It’s completely wrong and a lie to post MLB player salaries as if they are going to get all of the money, period.
Strike four when you get a job and someone asks you what your salary requirements are:
Will you tell them the after tax sum?
I advise you to do so. Please go into a job interview and ask for your after tax salary requirement. Don’t specify that you’re doing so.
Just do it! It’s definitely a societal norm.
Gotta love all the smooth-brains on here who are both absolutely wrecking a guy for both being overpaid AND for not being greedy, at the same time, when they should be just applauding the guy for doing what he knows is the right thing to do.
Wish the rest of MLB would join him. Hopefully they won’t have to and the league will officially shut down soon.
I don’t think he did this for his family – he did it for the money. Final year of his contract so he’s a FA after this season. Too much uncertainty to risk hurting his stock by poor performance so take this year off (which probably won’t go forward full steam anyway), then go into the off-season as a FA and lock in another multi-year deal. I wonder if Seattle and STL are paying him anything under the table too. Go to those clubs who are on the hook and say “I’ll opt out of the season and save you X Million buck IF you pay me a couple million.” Player still gets money (under the table) and the clubs save money too. Conspiracy Theory analysis, but what if….