The amount of money being thrown around to mid-tier starting pitchers on the free-agent market this offseason is absolutely absurd.
That took on a new meaning Tuesday morning when numerous reports indicated that the St. Louis Cardinals have signed Mike Leake to a five-year contract that one major baseball insider reported is worth a minimum of $80 million:
Leake, 28, was acquired by the San Franciisco Giants from the Cincinnati Reds during July's trade deadline. He responded by putting up a 2-5 record with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in nine starts with San Francisco while missing multiple starts due to injury.
Overall, Leake compiled an 11-10 record with a 3.70 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 30 starts between Cincinnati and San Francisco last season.
In the market for an upgrade in the rotation all offseason, it sure looks like the Cardinals overpaid for a player that likely won't be much more than a No. 3 starter in a good rotation.
As Fox Sports MLB insider Ken Rosenthal indicated, the deal could be worth between $93 and $94 million if Leake is able to hit his incentives.
The good news here for Cardinals fans is that their brass knows how to pick seemingly mediocre starters and get water from a rock. With a track record of major success in this category, it's hard to question what the team did on Tuesday.
Still, this seems like a relatively high price to pay for a player that's been nothing more than a No. 3 throughout his career.