Mike Leake signs five-year contract with St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals and free-agent righthander Mike Leake have agreed to a five-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday. The deal was first reported by SB Nation's Chris Cotillo.
According to Cotillo, the deal is for five years and $75 million, with an $18 million option for 2021. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the deal is worth $80 million over five seasons, with a mutual option worth $13–14 million for 2021 and a full no-trade clause.
Leake pitched for the Cincinnati Reds from 2010 to '15 before being traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 30. In 30 combined starts with Cincinnati and San Francisco last season, the 28-year-old went 11–10 with 119 strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA over 192 innings. He posted a 9–5 record as a member of the Reds in 2015 but struggled to find consistency after being traded to the Giants, going 2–5 with a 4.07 ERA in nine starts with San Francisco.
In six MLB seasons, Leake has turned in a 64–52 record with 730 strikeouts and a 3.88 ERA in 177 appearances. The former first-round selection out of Arizona State has averaged 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings in his major league career.
In St. Louis, Leake joins a starting rotation that includes Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia. The Cardinals lost John Lackey to the Chicago Cubs in free agency and will be without Lance Lynn, who underwent Tommy John surgery in November and will miss the 2016 season.
