New Team, Same Old Mike Leake

Mike Leake chose a new home after a late-season trade from the Reds to the Giants last year, signing with the St. Louis Cardinals for a five year, $80 million contract this off-season. He's projected to be their fourth starter.

Mike Leake is one of those players who is better appreciated in the real world versus fantasy, as his finesse work just doesn't produce hefty enough stats for a starter who isn't lights-out. His one calling card, though, is consistency: he has been nothing if not consistent the past five seasons. He has settled into a nice groove of always ending up in the neighborhood of 10 wins, an ERA approaching 4.00 and 120 or so strikeouts. All of which are as sexy as Cardinals' mascot Fredbird in a two-piece: that is, not at all. As keeping your team in the game is not a roto category, Leake shouldn't be anything but a late pick in most leagues. His inning-eating consistency and low cost play quite well in NL-only and deep leagues, though, especially in leagues with innings-pitched minimums.