The Orioles announced that they have selected the contracts of veteran left-handers Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone. Those additions give the Orioles 39 players on their 40-man rosters.
The 35-year-old LeBlanc and Milone, 33, signed minor league contracts with the pitcher-needy Orioles over the winter after spending last season with the Mariners. They’ll open 2020 in Baltimore’s rotation, Joe Trezza of MLB.com suggests.
LeBlanc has been a capable swingman for most of his career, which began in 2008 in San Diego. He was effective in Seattle as recently as 2018 (3.72 ERA/4.28 FIP with 7.22 K/9 and 2.22 BB/9 in 162 innings), but the wheels came off last year. LeBlanc could only manage 121 1/3 innings of 5.71 ERA/5.49 FIP pitching with 6.82 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 2019.
Milone has five seasons of at least 100 innings under his belt, even though the overall results haven’t been great. He piled up 111 2/3 a year ago and notched a 4.76 ERA/5.00 FIP, though he did post an impressive K/BB ratio with 7.58 K/9 and 1.85 BB/9.
Go get ’em, Frenchy! I hope your battery mate is Austin Wynns! Grats
Tommy Milone and Wade LeBlanc are basically carbon copies of each other.
During spring training I was hoping that LeBlanc could be stretched out to be our fifth starter, but with Means starting, LeBlanc would have probably taken the number four slot for L/R splits. I think he has plenty of upside potential. I hope he works out.
LeBlanc is 35 years old. He might be a serviceable innings eater but I don’t think there’s too much potential there.
If you look at his stats he is a good innings eater starter. He will not dominate a team but keep them in the game. A good 5th starter on a team that needs starters.
In a 60-game season, no team needs innings eaters. The Orioles have Means, Cobb, Kohl Stewart and Asher Wojociechowski to start 40 of the games. They can split the other 20 between near-ready minor leaguers – Akin, Baumann, Kremer, Lowther, Wells as well as top prospects Rodriguez and Hall. They could give a start to Sedlock or Knight as well. LeBlanc and Milone are just hindering their development in a season with no minor-league games.