Eric Sorenson
Mike Leake is coming home. Well, sort of. The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired the former Arizona State star Wednesday from the Seattle Mariners according the ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan.
Mike Leake is headed to the Arizona Diamondbacks, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2019
The Mariners will receive 22-year-old Single-A infielder Jose Caballero who was batting .268 with three home runs in 43 games for Visalia.
High-A infielder Jose Caballero is the prospect going to the Mariners for Mike Leake, according to a source.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) July 31, 2019
In Leake, Arizona receives a plug-and-play arm to slot into their rotation. He was 9-8 with a 4.40 ERA and recently flirted with a perfect game. His career ERA is a solid 4.05 in stints with the Reds, Giants, Cardinals and M’s.
The San Diego native sparkled as a freshman in Tempe in 2007 going 13-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 25 appearances. His sophomore season was just as impressive finishing 11-3 with a 3.49 ERA.
Leake’s junior campaign (16-1, 1,17 ERA) was one of the best in Pac-10 history. He was named a first-team All American and was named the National Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association before being selected in the first round (eighth overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2009.
