Reds trade starting pitcher Mike Leake to Giants for 2 minor leaguers
The Cincinnati Reds have traded starting pitcher Mike Leake to the San Francisco Giants, the teams announcedlate Thursday night. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to report the news.
In return for Leake, the Reds are receiving two minor leaguers: 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Keury Mella and 26-year-old first baseman Adam Duvall.
Leake had been seen as a likely trade candidate with the 27-year-old set to become a free agent at the end of the season and the Reds having become sellers after quickly falling out of contention.
A six-year veteran, Leake is 9–5 with a 3.56 ERA this season, with 90 strikeouts and 34 walks in 136 2/3 innings. He's been especially dominant recently, recording a 0.60 ERA over his last four starts and shutting out the Cardinals over eight innings in his most recent outing on Tuesday.
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Mella, the Giants' top prospect according to MLB.com, is 5–3 with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts for high A San Jose this season. Duvall, who put up a slash line of .192/.234/.342 in 77 plate appearances for the Giants last season, has hit .279/.323/.548 with 26 home runs and 79 RBIs in 99 games for Triple A Sacramento in 2015.
The trade of Leake is the Reds' second significant move in the run-up to the trade deadline, following the trade of ace Johnny Cueto to the Royals last weekend.
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The Giants are 56–45 this season, putting them one-half game behind the Dodgers in the National League West and two games ahead of the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card.
The non-waiver trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
- Ben Estes
