The San Francisco Giants acquired Mike Leake from the Cincinnati Reds for Class A pitcher Keury Mella and AAA third baseman Adam Duvall.
Leake was the 8th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He made his debut for the Reds the very next spring. He has played all 6 of his seasons for the Reds.
The Giants wanted to upgrade their rotation. Leake has been red hot in his last 5 starts, going 4-1 with a 1.25 ERA and 25 strikeouts. He averaged over 7 innings in those starts. That is exactly what the Giants need as they fight to get into the playoffs.
The Giants starters have had to deal with injuries. Jake Peavy and Matt Cain have combined to start 12 games this season and Tim Lincecum is now on the disabled list with a right forearm contusion. The Giants pitching staff is 7th in ERA and 14th in strikeouts out of 15 teams in the National League.
The Giants trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by a half game in the National League West, and they hold the second Wild Card spot. The Dodgers have made moves to improve and the Giants are going to need keep up with them.
Leake will be a free agent at the end of the season.
All MLB trades are pending medical reviews.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
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