San Francisco Giants Get Their Guy in Mike Leake

You can breathe now, San Francisco Giants’ fans. After missing out on the two biggest pitchers on the trade market in David Price and Cole Hamels, it seemed as if the Giants would stand pat at the trade deadline and roll with what they had. But late Thursday night, the Giants swung a deal with the Cincinnati Reds and made a move.

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The Giants acquired starting pitcher Mike Leake from the Reds, in exchange for two prospects: pitcher Keury Mella and first baseman/third baseman Adam Duvall.

San Francisco was looking for another reliable starter, and Leake gives them just that. Even though he’s not an ace like Price or Hamels, Leake is durable and very solid.

Leake has enjoyed a nice season for the Reds thus far, with a record of nine wins and five losses, a 3.56 ERA, and 1.149 WHIP. Those numbers could really improve now that Leake isn’t pitching his home games at a hitter’s heaven like the Great American Ball Park. The home and away splits for Leake have been night and day.

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The Giants also get Leake in the midst of an extreme hot streak. In his last four starts, Leake has gone 30 innings, given up just two runs (0.60 ERA), and has held opponents to a .146 average. He’s struck out 21 batters compared to just four walks.

CSN Bay Area’s Giants’ Insider Alex Pavlovic speculated that Leake could make his Giants’ debut on Sunday against the Texas Rangers.

That would be a bit of a cruel twist of fate for Leake. He gets traded from the Reds, who play in a terrible pitcher’s park, to the Giants, who have the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball. But he makes his debut in Texas, another great hitter’s park. Those Baseball Gods are a tricky bunch.

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It’s too bad Leake won’t have a chance to hit at the Globe Life Park in Arlington. Leake is a very good hitting pitcher, and joins a rotation that boasts a couple of those in Chris Heston and Madison Bumgarner. In his career, Leake is a .219 hitter with five home runs, including one already this season.

And if you have a good memory, Leake showed his prowess on the mound and at the plate against the Giants on June 29th, 2012. Leake threw a complete game on that day, giving up just a single run to earn a win. He helped his own cause with a solo home run, his second of the year.

The price the Giants paid for Leake isn’t all that high, relative to some of the other deals we’ve seen leading up to the deadline. The Giants did give up their number-one prospect in Mella, but his future is far from certain. Some debate still swirls around him as to whether he remains a starter or winds up in the bullpen. Although, the Giants no longer have to worry about that.

The second prospect that goes to Cincinnati is Duvall, a slugger who was roadblocked at every position in San Francisco. He led the Pacific Coast League with 26 home runs, all while playing first base, third base, and left field. His defensive deficiencies kept him from finding a lasting role in San Francisco.

In Cincinnati, a hitter like Duvall can thrive. If he gets an opportunity to play regularly, he could end up as a world-class slugger. However, he is roadblocked in Cincinnati, as well. With Joey Votto and Todd Frazier manning the infield corners, it will be tough to get at-bats. If Cincinnati continues to sell and trades an outfielder, Duvall might find some time out there.

Leake’s acquisition would spell the end of Tim Hudson‘s time in the rotation. Hudson told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman last week after his victory against the Oakland Athletics that he understands what acquiring another starter means for him.

"“We all need to understand we’re trying to win ballgames,” Hudson said. “Obviously, I’m going out there trying to do my best to win ballgames and give us a chance to win, but if there’s ever a reason I shouldn’t be out there, if there are better options for the team to win ballgames, then I’m all for it.”“I want to win another championship. Being offended or my ego getting hurt, that’s never been who I am as a player and never will be.”"

That quote from Hudson seems to epitomize the Giants’ mentality throughout their run over the past five-plus years. Playing for the name on the front of the jersey, rather than the one on the back, it what has driven the team to success. Whether it’s a starting pitcher moving to the bullpen, like Tim Lincecum has done multiple times, and like Ryan Vogelsong is doing now, or someone sacrificing their starting job to improve the lineup, the team always comes first.

In the end, a deal for Leake could wind up better for the Giants than a deal for Price. Price is known to be hell-bent on testing the market after the season when he hits free agency, and the team that acquired him from the Detroit Tigers would have a lesser chance at agreeing to an extension. The Giants have a much better chance of extending Leake at the end of the season than they would a guy like Price.

So rest easy, Giants’ fans. San Francisco was able to add another starting pitcher, and at the same time, they were able to keep their prized prospect Tyler Beede and their Major League-ready talent. From what can be seen so far, this one is a win.