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MLB Hot Stove: 5 potential free agent targets for the San Francisco Giants

By Dave Stevenson

Aug 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of a San Francisco Giants hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of a San Francisco Giants hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 2, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Mike Leake (13) throws a pitch in the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Mike Leake

Mike Leake fits the San Francisco Giants free agent signing profile perfectly. He’s a pitcher who could have success in the spacious AT&T Park. The Giants tend to spend a majority of their money on their own free agents. Leake was traded to the Giants by the Reds at the trade deadline. The Giants need to add some rotation depth. Leake projects perfectly for the Giants as a #3 to #4 starter.

Leake doesn’t put up the sexy stats that someone like David Price or Zack Greinke puts up. However, Leake pitches to contact and does it remarkably well. He struck out just 5.58 batters per nine innings pitched in 2015 when he had a 3.70 ERA. He has a 3.88 career ERA despite striking out just 6.06 hitters per nine innings pitched over his career. He’s going to pitch roughly 200 innings every single year. The San Francisco Giants would love to add a guy like that to their rotation.

He tends to allow a lot of groundballs and flyballs. In 2015, 51.8% of the balls put in play against Leake were groundballs and 26.6% were fly balls. He got a bit unlucky with the Reds, as a high percentage of the flyballs that he allowed in Cincy were home runs. That definitely wouldn’t be the case in San Francisco.

Leake is solid but not stellar. That’s fine because the San Francisco Giants wouldn’t need him to be stellar. Just solid. MLB Trade Rumors predicts he’ll get five years and $80,000,000 total in free agency. He’s only 28 years old, so that sounds about right. The San Francisco Giants could definitely afford that and would likely love to bring back Leake.

Next: Alex Gordon

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