St. Louis Cardinals: Five Burning Questions

Will the new guy in town be someone who provides innings or produces something greater?

Question from Matt Whitener(Cheap.Seats.Please)-What are your expectations for the impact that he makes in both the immediate and long-term picture for the Cardinals? Is he destined to remain a depth addition for the middle of the order, or can he ascend in the style of Woody Williams or Kyle Lohse and become an underrated high impact addition?

My Take-When Mike Leake was signed, people reacted to it like a rebound deal after losing David Price. As if the Prom King said no to your team, but the nerdy quiet guy said okay. Thr reaction wasn’t fair to Leake or the Cards.

This is a smart deal for each side. The Cards didn’t exactly need an Ace like Price. Sure, it would have been nice to acquire him and his many talents. However, Adam Wainwright is back and can still pitch like an ace. This team needed innings and consistency and that is what Leake is. At the very least, Leake can be a great #3. He won’t win Cy Young Awards or dazzle the crowd, but he will be the reliable pitcher fans can expect 6-7 innings from every time out. He is your Lance Lynn. With Waino back and Leake in, the Cards solved the rotation worries at least for now. They didn’t endanger their younger arms in Tim Cooney, Marco Gonzales or Alex Reyes. They got a guy who doesn’t project to dominate but someone who can eat up innings and maybe more.

I definitely think Leake can surprise fans and be a high impact guy, especially down the stretch when younger arms may tire or the bullpen can’t rescue games as often. When he was signed, I immediately thought of a Jeff Suppan and Lohse type addition. Someone who comes in without much fanfare but eventually impresses fans and his teammates alike with his ability to outperform expectations. He’s only 28 and signed a five year deal, which gives the upcoming young core time to grow into men before they are asked to be superstars while giving the team a parachute for departed veterans or injury prone bodies like Jaime Garcia.

Leake wasn’t a safe play by John Mozeliak. He was a smart under the radar addition that may carry big upside.

Next: Wong signs extension

Leake wasn’t a safe play by John Mozeliak. He was a smart under the radar addition that may carry big upside.

That’s all for this week folks. One of the good things about the Roundtable sessions is it can stir up stories and ideas. Please follow all of the above question dispensing writers on Twitter-

@tknup

@deckacards

@poisonwilliam

@Curtis_Josey

@CheapSeatFan

They are all guaranteed strong Cardinals analysis. If I cross Cards commentary with church, you get Whitener.

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