With Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Brett Anderson the boys in blue have a strong front half of their rotation, but a season ending injury to Brandon McCarthy and shoulder concerns for Hyun-Jin Ryu could hurt their shot at winning a World Series title.
ESPN has reported the front office is looking to add depth to their rotation and the Reds could have the player to fill that need. While fans would love adding Johnny Cueto, the cost of such a trade would be high and likely won’t happen, but Cincinnati has another pitcher on their staff that is rumored on the trading block.
27-year-old Mike Leake is just 2-4 this season, but like the struggling Reds, his numbers suggest he could be a valuable fourth or fifth starter in Los Angeles. The former first round pick is 55-46 for his career and an ERA of lass than 4.00, but even better is his stats when taking the mound in pitcher friendly parks where his run average is closer to 3.40.
With June closing in and teams all around baseball now looking to make moves, Scott Kazmir of Oakland is another option. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has suggested the two sides could come together before the MLB trade deadline, but the veteran will become a free agent after the 2015 season and sending a couple quality prospects for a pitcher that plays just half a season with the LA Dodgers might not be what the club is looking for if they make a trade in the coming weeks.
After a recent series with St Louis, it’s clear this team needs more depth on the mound and adding Leake could be the move that sparks this club over the summer and possibly enough for a title in October.
