New York Yankees Editorial: Is Mike Leake a Better Fit than Samardzija?

The early indication around the rumor mill is that the Yankees will push hard to sign free-agent pitcher Jeff Samardzija this winter. Despite his struggles in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox, Jon Heyman reported that;

"Some Yankees people love Samardzija for his potential, and also for his interest in the big stage. That Samardzija was a star wide receiver for Notre Dame adds to the interest for the Yankees, who see better results ahead for Samardzija. They also may see a possible bargain following a year in which he had a near-5 ERA, totally uncharacteristic for him."

Apparently Samardzija would be a ‘great-fit’ because he ‘loves the big stage’, and yes, Larry Rothschild can probably fine-tune him into a stud, but I still think the Yankees would be wise to pursue Mike Leake instead.

For starters, after the White Sox gave up a package of Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, Josh Phegley and Rangel Ravel to the A’s just to acquire Samardzija, it’s almost 100-percent guaranteed that the Sox will give him a qualifying offer, meaning the Yankees have to forfeit a top pick in order to sign him.

Because Mike Leake on the other hand was traded from the Reds to the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, he’s ineligible to receive a qualifying offer, meaning the Yankees would get to keep their top pick while adding Leake to their rotation. In the Yankees new strategy of building up their farm system and placing a big emphasis on prospect development, keeping their top draft pick in 2016 should be a priority, and a significant preseason as to why they should avoid any qualifying offerer-tendered free-agents unless they’re a difference maker.

From a logistical standpoint, both Leake and Samardzija are right-handed pitchers who can anchor the middle of a rotation. Though Leake is nearly three-years younger than Samardzija, he still has more wear and tear on his pitching arm. Through the first six-years of his major league career, Leake has tossed a total of 1,083.2 innings while averaging 32 starts per season from 2012 on. Samardzija on the other hand has tossed just 991.2 innings over the first eight years of his career, and has averaged just 25 starts per season over the past four seasons. Still, on a short-term deal, both should remain healthy.

From a statistical standpoint, Mike Leake has a career 64-52 record with a 3.88 ERA. Samardzija on the other hand is a career 47-61 pitcher with a 4.09 ERA. Mike Leake also has a career WAR of 9.1, which is two points higher than Samardzija’s 7.1.

Not only do the aforementioned stats imply that Leake is a more reliable pitcher, but when you take into account that Leake has posted these numbers while playing a majority of his career at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio – a ball park that isn’t as friendly to pitchers as Wrigley Field where Samardzija made a majority of his starts, the difference in the two becomes even more evident.

Similar to Samardzija, Mike Leake could also be had at a bargain. After being traded to the Giants for prospects Adam Duvall and right-handed pitcher Keury Mella, Leake wen’t just 2-5 with a 4.07 ERA in nine starts as the Giants failed to keep pace with the Dodgers and make playoffs. His poor second half will surely effect his market value.

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, both the Giants and Diamondbacks are interested in Mike Leake, but I would behoove Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees to join this list as well. He’s a better pitcher than Jeff Samardzija and he can provide stability in the Yankees rotation.

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