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Thread: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

  1. #1
    Pitter Patter TRF's Avatar
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    Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    For all the DiDi talk, I thought I'd throw this one out there. When Leake was drafted, he was said to be so polished he would go straight to the major leagues. Now I believe he'd have been better served to start at AA and work his way up a bit, learn how to be a professional ball player, pitching every 5 days. But it was almost a forgone conclusion he wouldn't start in the minor leagues. So, he was competing for the 5th starters spot, and he won it over Travis Wood, who was later traded to the Cubs for Marshall.

    But.. did the Reds trade the wrong guy?

    Wood has logged about 100 fewer innings than Leake, and is a year older. Both pitch in hitter's parks in a hitter's division. Wood is better at getting a K, though he's certainly not fantastic at it, 6.9 K/9 is decent.

    And certainly this year, he's been stellar.

    My biggest Leake complaint is he's just too hittable. I don't see all the "movement" he's reputed to have. I see laser straight fastballs in the zone, and he gets pounded like a mallard in a butcher shop.

    For all the hand wringing over a SS with 59 career AB's, Travis Wood is what should be driving you nuts. I watched him carve up the Cardinals last night. Fast worker, gets in a good rhythm, and gets ahead of hitters.
    Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum.


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    Member Crosley68's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    My guess is that the Cubs wanted Wood and not Leake. So the argument is did the Cubs make the right choice. I would rather have Leake and Marshall than Leake and Wood at this point.
    Let's play two!!!

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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    It's a good question...but I still have nightmares of that first inning Wood pitched a couple years ago where he got carved up by throwing like 30 straight fastballs.

  5. #4
    I wear Elly colored glass WrongVerb's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Quote Originally Posted by DocRed View Post
    It's a good question...but I still have nightmares of that first inning Wood pitched a couple years ago where he got carved up by throwing like 30 straight fastballs.
    It's a good thing that people never learn from their mistakes, and that they just do the same thing over and over again. Otherwise you might discern that Wood learned and improved based off of what he did and won't ever do it again.
    Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. -- Carl Sagan (Pale Blue Dot)

  6. #5
    Battle Toad Historian thatcoolguy_22's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    I always liked Wood. To be fair at the time of the trade Leake looked like much more of a sure thing.

    2011
    Wood: 106IP K/9 6.45 BB/9 3.40 xFIP 4.61 Groundball% 32.1
    Leake: 167IP K/9 6.33 BB/9 2.04 xFIP 3.68 Groundball% 47.7


    I think at the time Wood looked more mirage. 32% GB rates in GABP don't survive especially when he was averaging 3 additional walks per 18 innings pitched than Leake.

  7. #6
    Member mdccclxix's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Wood is a grizzled vet (or maybe it's just his beard) at a younger age than most. He logs you innings and he is a very smart pitcher. He'll likely settle back in around a 4 era guy, but you have to respect how he's done it.

  8. #7
    All work and no play..... Vottomatic's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    The jury's still out.

    But it's possible the Reds made a mistake trading Wood. He's looking pretty good so far.......plus he's a lefty.

  9. #8
    Future Fame of Holler WildcatFan's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Wood has always had a higher upside than Leake (see the Philly start a couple years ago), but for whatever reason hasn't put it together for a whole season. Leake has had stretches of five or six starts where he's been outstanding, too. If either Leake or Wood could have landed Marshall, I think there would be more of an argument about who they gave up. But the Cubs pretty clearly wanted Wood, and he isn't a significant enough upgrade over Leake to second guess that trade.
    "I never argue with people who say baseball is boring, because baseball is boring. And then, suddenly, it isn't. And that's what makes it great." - Joe Posnanski

  10. #9
    always ask questions bigredmechanism's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Quote Originally Posted by Crosley68 View Post
    My guess is that the Cubs wanted Wood and not Leake. So the argument is did the Cubs make the right choice. I would rather have Leake and Marshall than Leake and Wood at this point.
    I agree. Marshall is an integral part of this teams bullpen.
    Award Winning Baseball Player

  11. #10
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Leake is a slightly better hitter than Wood, although both aren't shabby for pitchers.

  12. #11
    .377 in 1905 CySeymour's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Quote Originally Posted by Vottomatic View Post
    The jury's still out.

    But it's possible the Reds made a mistake trading Wood. He's looking pretty good so far.......plus he's a lefty.
    True, plus a competent starter is always more valuable then a reliever.
    ...the 2-2 to Woodsen and here it comes...and it is swung on and missed! And Tom Browning has pitched a perfect game! Twenty-seven outs in a row, and he is being mobbed by his teammates, just to the thirdbase side of the mound.

  13. #12
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    Leake has been stellar of late, we'll see how he does today.
    For a "#5 pitcher" he certainly is pretty darn respectable, not to mention cheap, young, and under control for many years.
    Look how long it took homer and others to come into their own.
    I think Leake is going to have the better career, and a long one at that.

    Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
    I think that in a year or two, one of these guys - Frazier, Dorn, Valaika, Cumberland, Stubbs - will be ready to replace Dunn. They won't hit as many home runs as Dunn, but they should have similar OPS. - 757690, July 22, 2008

    Alonso will be playing 1B for the REDS and batting 4th one year from today. - Kingspoint, July 9, 2009

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  15. #13
    Member traderumor's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Can Wood at least do this for a season until his bandwagon fills up? He is, at best, an average ML pitcher for which we were able to obtain one of the best lefty relievers in the game. I'm not crying over that or pining for him to still be in our rotation after watching his act in 2011, even if Wood does continue this short term taste of success (7 starts) for a full season.
    "Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"

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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    He has a .198 BABIP and a 4.19 xFIP this year, so it looks like we need to wait and see how he normalizes. he really hasn't pitched any better this year, just gotten luckier.

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  19. #15
    Member traderumor's Avatar
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    Re: Travis Wood and Mike Leake

    Quote Originally Posted by WildcatFan View Post
    Wood has always had a higher upside than Leake (see the Philly start a couple years ago), but for whatever reason hasn't put it together for a whole season. Leake has had stretches of five or six starts where he's been outstanding, too. If either Leake or Wood could have landed Marshall, I think there would be more of an argument about who they gave up. But the Cubs pretty clearly wanted Wood, and he isn't a significant enough upgrade over Leake to second guess that trade.
    That is not an example of upside, that is an example of any given night for any MLB starter. Andres Gallaraga pitched a perfect game* and he is in AAA. Wood and Leake are probably both going to have similar career numbers at the end of the day, which means that having Marshall and not Wood is better than having both Wood and Leake.
    "Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"

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