While the big-name pitchers are off the market, there are still several quality options available. One of those is Mike Leake, and he's reportedly drawing interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.
Sources: Both #Dodgers, #STLCards on Leake. LAD interest could grow if team is backing out of Iwakuma deal to physical, as Jiji Press says.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 17, 2015
The Dodgers had recently agreed to a deal with Japanese righty Hisashi Iwakuma, although reports out of Japan say the Dodgers are backing out of that deal because Iwakuma failed his physical. The Dodgers offered Iwakuma a 3-year, $45 million contract. Their decision to reportedly pull the offer suggests they may have found long-term concerns with Iwakuma.
If that's the case, the Dodgers' interest in Leake makes perfect sense. The team missed out on David Price and Johnny Cueto and lost Zack Greinke. They have a need for a starter and Leake is arguably the best on of the market.
The Cardinals' interest is a bit surprising, given general manager John Mozeliak's recent comments. Mozeliak recently said the team wasn't going to make any "dynamic" signings after missing out on Price and Jason Heyward. Leake seemingly falls into that category, but perhaps the Cardinals don't consider him dynamic enough. Or maybe Mozeliak was hiding his true intentions.
Leake is just 28 years and spent most of his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline. Leake posted a 3.70 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP last season. Those are slightly better than his career averages. An innings eater, Leake is not a No. 1 rotation option, but can be a reliable No. 3.
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