Tuesday morning, the Cardinals agreed to a five-year contract worth $80 million with free agent right-hander Mike Leake. The deal includes a full no-trade clause as well as an option for a sixth year.
St. Louis did win 100 games in 2015, giving them the best record in baseball, but they've fallen behind the Cubs this offseason, partly because John Lackey and Jason Heyward signed with Chicago as free agents. Lackey and Heyward were the Cardinals' best pitcher and position player by WAR in 2015, respectively.
Leake gives the Cardinals some much-needed pitching depth and helps close the gap with the Cubs, albeit slightly. Here are five things to know about the signing.
1. It was only a matter of time until the Cardinals spent money.
The Cardinals clearly came into the offseason with some money to spend. They were the runners-up for David Price, reportedly offering something in the $180 million to $190 million range. They also made a huge offer to Heyward, which was said to be somewhere around $200 million.
That money was still burning a hole in the team's pocket, and while GM John Mozeliak said he doesn't expect a "dynamic signing," they were going to use some of it somewhere. Leake fits the team's mold as a pitch-to-contact veteran starter. They've had success maximizing guys like this in the past. Think Jeff Suppan and Kyle Lohse.
2. The Cardinals really needed rotation help.
With a 2.99 ERA, the Cardinals had by far the best rotation in baseball in 2015, and the best since the 2011 Phillies. They also really needed rotation help this offseason because their best pitcher (Lackey) became a free agent and their holdovers all had some sort of health issue in 2015.
Adam Wainwright: Missed most of the season with a torn Achillies.
Carlos Martinez: Season ended early due to shoulder strain.
Jaime Garcia: Limited to 20 starts by shoulder issue. Only 56 starts from 2012-15.
Michael Wacha: Stayed healthy but was noticeably fatigued late in the season.
The trio of Tyler Lyons, Marco Gonzales and Tim Cooney give the Cardinals some Triple-A pitching depth. Rather than counting on one of them as the fifth starter, Leake knocks them down a peg on the depth chart.
If Wainwright, Martinez, Garcia and Wacha stay healthy in 2016, the Cardinals will be great. Leake gives the team some protection in case injury does strike.
3. Not having to forfeit a draft pick is a nice bonus.
Players must remain on their team all season to be eligible for the qualifying offer. Leake was traded from the Reds to the Giants at midseason, meaning San Francisco could not tender the qualifying offer and recoup a draft pick. The Cardinals will keep their first rounder, currently No. 27 overall, despite signing Leake. That's not insignificant, not with the way St. Louis drafts.
4. Leake is in his prime and has added velocity.
The Reds drafted Leake with the 8th overall pick in the 2009 draft and he made their Opening Day rotation in 2010. His only minor league experience was a brief stint in the Arizona Fall League.
So, thanks to that lack of minor league time, Leake is fairly young for a free agent starter. He turned 28 last month, so this contract is buying his age 28-32 seasons, pretty much the peak of his career. Also, Leake has actually added velocity in recent seasons:
Usually pitchers lose velocity as their careers progress. Leake's done the opposite, possibly because he was a two-way player in college who played the field on days he didn't pitch. Focusing full-time on pitching as a pro may have led to increased arm strength.
Either way, Leake is throwing harder than ever before and he's right smack in the middle of what are usually the prime years of a player's career.
5. Leake's bat is a nice bonus too.
Thanks to his days as a position player in college, Leake is a pretty good hitter for a pitcher. He owns a career .212/.235/.310 batting line -- he's hit two home runs in each of the last two seasons and three of the last four overall -- in a world where the average pitcher hit .130/.167/.170 in 2015.
Don't get me wrong, Leake's offense wasn't the driving force behind the deal or anything like that. I'm just pointing out that he's not a total zero at the plate and does add some value with his bat relative to other pitchers. Leake will help the Cardinals create some real runs on offense going forward. It's a nice little bonus.
