#1 Trade Deadline Target for the Buccos.....

[bjf1984]

should be, IMHO.....Mike Leake

My parameters - what I would be looking for:

1 - Rental (so the cost should be minimal)
2 - No huge financial cost this year
3 - Clear upgrade at either SP or 1B

Now, there are not a lot of guys that hit all three parameters (just about none at 1B), but I think Leake does give a lot of value to the Buccos as a SP:

1 - The Reds are obviously mailing it in for the rest of the year, and Leake will hit free agency for 2016 (should be cheap).
2 - Leak's current deal is only about $4 Million for the remainder of the season
3 - While Leake's overall numbers are fairly similar to Charlie and Locke, he has the distinct disadvantage of playing on Cincinnati's cigar box stadium.

On an apples to apples comparison - looking at how each pitcher does in games away from their home park - career ERA:

Charlie - 5.38 Locke - 4.38 Leake - 3.50

Leake is a pitch to contact, ground ball pitcher (not quite the ground ball ratio of Charlie - but a bit higher than Locke.....and well above league average overall)

Leake is a significant upgrade - IMHO - over either Charlie of Locke.....and given AJ's inconsistency of late, SP should be right up their with 1B as an area of need down the stretch.

Leake has been a consistent innings eater who stays off the DL.


Anyway, if I'm in NH's shoes.....this is the guy I'd go after.

 

[Hartzie]

should be, IMHO.....Mike Leake

My parameters - what I would be looking for:

1 - Rental (so the cost should be minimal)
2 - No huge financial cost this year
3 - Clear upgrade at either SP or 1B

Now, there are not a lot of guys that hit all three parameters (just about none at 1B), but I think Leake does give a lot of value to the Buccos as a SP:

1 - The Reds are obviously mailing it in for the rest of the year, and Leake will hit free agency for 2016 (should be cheap).
2 - Leak's current deal is only about $4 Million for the remainder of the season
3 - While Leake's overall numbers are fairly similar to Charlie and Locke, he has the distinct disadvantage of playing on Cincinnati's cigar box stadium.

On an apples to apples comparison - looking at how each pitcher does in games away from their home park - career ERA:

Charlie - 5.38 Locke - 4.38 Leake - 3.50

Leake is a pitch to contact, ground ball pitcher (not quite the ground ball ratio of Charlie - but a bit higher than Locke.....and well above league average overall)

Leake is a significant upgrade - IMHO - over either Charlie of Locke.....and given AJ's inconsistency of late, SP should be right up their with 1B as an area of need down the stretch.

Leake has been a consistent innings eater who stays off the DL.


Anyway, if I'm in NH's shoes.....this is the guy I'd go after.

I like it. I think they should address the middle bullpen and this does that by pushing Charlie or Locke to the pen. However, I'm not sure if either of them have the temperament for the pen.

 

[fairgambit]

Agree. It's time for the Pirates to take a Leake.

(Seriously, I agree).

 

[NitneLiun]

I figured you guys would be sellers by now.

 

[nits74]

I figured you guys would be sellers by now.

Admittedly, that is funny. Did I hear the Cards picked up some bullpen help recently? If so, pretty good move at this point.

 

[NorCalcLion]

Enlighten me on Volquez . Why didn't the Pirates sign him last year ? His KC contract is $ 5.5 million . In the meantime , the Pirates are paying Morton $ 8 million for mediocre performance. Volquez would have been a significant upgrade over Morton. They could have made Morton the 5 slot guy, which is where he should be.

 

[fairgambit]

Admittedly, that is funny. Did I hear the Cards picked up some bullpen help recently? If so, pretty good move at this point.

They'll need all the help they can get to avoid a duplication of last years playoff choke.

 

[nits74]

Enlighten me on Volquez . Why didn't the Pirates sign him last year ? His KC contract is $ 5.5 million . In the meantime , the Pirates are paying Morton $ 8 million for mediocre performance. Volquez would have been a significant upgrade over Morton. They could have made Morton the 5 slot guy, which is where he should be.

I wanted them to sign Volquez also. I thought his contract with KC was in the $10M range, however. If $5.4M is true, then they really did err in not signing him.

 

[NorCalcLion]

Even at 10 million, his performance this year would have been worth the price

 

[nits74]

I wanted them to sign Volquez also. I thought his contract with KC was in the $10M range, however. If $5.4M is true, then they really did err in not signing him.

Agree.

 

[Stargellfan]

should be, IMHO.....Mike Leake

My parameters - what I would be looking for:

1 - Rental (so the cost should be minimal)
2 - No huge financial cost this year
3 - Clear upgrade at either SP or 1B

Now, there are not a lot of guys that hit all three parameters (just about none at 1B), but I think Leake does give a lot of value to the Buccos as a SP:

1 - The Reds are obviously mailing it in for the rest of the year, and Leake will hit free agency for 2016 (should be cheap).
2 - Leak's current deal is only about $4 Million for the remainder of the season
3 - While Leake's overall numbers are fairly similar to Charlie and Locke, he has the distinct disadvantage of playing on Cincinnati's cigar box stadium.

On an apples to apples comparison - looking at how each pitcher does in games away from their home park - career ERA:

Charlie - 5.38 Locke - 4.38 Leake - 3.50

Leake is a pitch to contact, ground ball pitcher (not quite the ground ball ratio of Charlie - but a bit higher than Locke.....and well above league average overall)

Leake is a significant upgrade - IMHO - over either Charlie of Locke.....and given AJ's inconsistency of late, SP should be right up their with 1B as an area of need down the stretch.

Leake has been a consistent innings eater who stays off the DL.


Anyway, if I'm in NH's shoes.....this is the guy I'd go after.

He would help and it would also mean the Pirates would not have to face him when they play the Reds. He has pretty much owned us. If the Pirates pick up another starter, Morton has to be the odd man out. I like Locke,and he is still young. Look around the league and you will see that there are not many 5th starters that are better than Locke.Some people think you should have five # 1's and that is just not realistic.

 

[bjf1984]

He would help and it would also mean the Pirates would not have to face him when they play the Reds. He has pretty much owned us. If the Pirates pick up another starter, Morton has to be the odd man out. I like Locke,and he is still young. Look around the league and you will see that there are not many 5th starters that are better than Locke.Some people think you should have five # 1's and that is just not realistic.

Well....just since I posted yesterday, Leake has been worth about 0.6 WAR to the Pirates! And they haven't even traded for him yet!!!