Charles LeBlanc

Braves Agree To Minor League Deal With Charles Leblanc

By Steve Adams and Leo Morgenstern | November 14, 2024 at 1:18pm CDT

The Braves have signed infielder Charles Leblanc to a minor league contract, according to the transaction logs on MLB.com. He had elected free agency earlier this offseason. Atlanta has also added infielder Kobe Kato on a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned.

Leblanc spent his age-28 season with the Angels organization, hitting .254/.379/.437 (108 wRC+) with a dozen homers and a huge 16.4% walk rate in 98 Triple-A games. He also took 28 plate appearances in the big leagues — his second season with MLB work, following a 2022 run in Miami — and popped a pair of homers in that tiny sample.

A fourth-round pick by the Rangers back in 2016, Leblanc is a career .259/.364/.454 hitter in parts of four Triple-A seasons. He’s slashed .254/.330/.412 in 197 big league games. Leblanc has spent the bulk of his professional career at third base but also has more than 1000 innings at both second base and first base. He’s played 473 frames at shortstop and another 376 in left field.

Kato, 25, was a 13th-rounder by the Astros in 2021. Houston cut him loose early in 2024, but he turned a stint with the independent York Revolution into a new opportunity with the Mariners and climbed three minor league levels, topping out in Triple-A. Kato hit .283/.393/.389 with a homer and eight steals in 135 minor league plate appearances last year. He’s played primarily second base in the minors but has experience at short, third and all three outfield spots as well.

A previous version of this post also had the Braves signing catcher Yohel Pozo, also per the MLB.com transactions logs. MLBTR has learned that Pozo is actually still a free agent and regrets the error.

Carson Fulmer, Charles Leblanc Elect Free Agency

By Leo Morgenstern | October 29, 2024 at 1:07pm CDT

Right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer and infielder Charles Leblanc elected free agency on Monday, according to the transaction log on MiLB.com. The Angels sent both players outright to Triple-A last week.

Fulmer won’t turn 31 until December but has already spent time with seven different organizations: the White Sox, Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Dodgers, Mariners, and Angels. Over eight major league seasons, he has largely worked as a low-leverage reliever and occasional spot starter, pitching to a 5.38 ERA and 4.92 SIERA in 227 1/3 innings. Needless to say, that’s not the kind of pitcher the White Sox were hoping for when they selected Fulmer with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft. Nonetheless, teams always need arms to pitch innings, and Fulmer proved he could fill that role with the Angels in 2024. In his most productive season to date, he made 37 appearances (eight starts) and gave L.A. 86 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA and 4.39 SIERA. Outside of a brief stint on the injured list with elbow inflammation, he stuck with the club from the day he had his contract selected on April 8 to the end of the regular season. The promise and potential of the former first-round pick have long since evaporated, but there is value in a pitcher who can offer innings as both a starter and reliever, even if he doesn’t excel in any particular area. Fulmer shouldn’t have trouble finding a new team this offseason, although he might have to settle for another minor league deal.

Leblanc is not nearly as established a player, though he has played well in the brief opportunities he’s gotten at the major league level. Over 59 games split between the Marlins in 2022 and the Angels in 2024, he’s hit 10 doubles and six home runs, good for a .742 OPS and a 109 wRC+. A former shortstop, he now splits his time between all three bases. That versatility, along with his righty pop, are his primary selling points as a bench bat. The fact that he still has two minor league options years remaining could also make him attractive to potential suitors this winter. That being said, his mediocre Triple-A numbers over the past two seasons (.253/.381/.430, 108 wRC+) and his 31.5% strikeout rate in the majors explain why the 28-year-old hasn’t seen much playing time at the MLB level. He should be able to land somewhere on a new minor league deal, but he’ll have to earn his way back up if he’s going to get another shot in the big leagues.

Angels Outright Six Players

By Leo Morgenstern | October 24, 2024 at 8:00pm CDT

The Angels began the process of clearing space on their 40-man roster today, sending six players outright to Triple-A Salt Lake: right-handed pitchers Carson Fulmer, Andrew Wantz, and José Marte, and infielders Charles Leblanc, Jack López, and Michael Stefanic. Evidently, all six players were designated for assignment and cleared waivers earlier this week. They will be eligible to elect free agency and seek new opportunities in free agency this winter.

Fulmer, 30, made 37 appearances, including eight starts, for the Angels in 2024, pitching to a 4.15 ERA and 4.39 SIERA over 86 2/3 innings. It was the most productive season of his career, which began in 2016 with the White Sox and took him to the Tigers, Orioles, Reds, Dodgers, and Mariners before he signed a minor league deal with the Angels in 2023. While his moderate success this year was promising, the former first-round pick has a career 5.38 ERA and 4.92 SIERA in 227 1/3 frames. He offers versatility as both a bullpen arm and a serviceable spot starter, though his splits aren’t much different whether he’s pitching out of the rotation or the bullpen.

Wantz, 29, was attempting to stretch back out as a starter in 2024 after several years as a bullpen arm. However, the initial results were poor in spring training and at Triple-A. Then, he managed to make just one appearance for the big league club before he landed on the IL with an elbow injury, which ultimately required surgery. It is not clear what, exactly, the surgery was, though it was not a Tommy John procedure. The Angels originally hoped Wantz would be ready to return next spring, but according to MLB.com, he suffered a setback in his recovery and it is unclear when (or if) he will be able to pitch in 2025. Prior to this past season, he had a 3.85 ERA and 3.93 SIERA over 117 innings pitched with the Angels between 2021-23.

Marte, 28, also finished the 2024 season on the IL. He pitched well for the Angels over 14 appearances, tossing 19 1/3 innings with a 2.33 ERA, and he made another 25 appearances with a 2.22 ERA at Triple-A. Unfortunately, a viral infection forced him to the IL in August. To make matters worse, he felt pain in his shoulder while attempting to return from the infection and ultimately underwent shoulder surgery in September. It’s unclear if he will be ready to pitch again by next spring. Despite his impressive ERA this past season, Marte has a career 5.56 ERA and 5.64 SIERA in 43 2/3 innings of big league work. His 4.46 ERA in 74 2/3 innings at Triple-A isn’t much more inspiring.

Leblanc, 28, made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2022. He performed reasonably well, slashing .263/.320/.404 with four home runs over 48 games but was outrighted over the offseason. Despite continuing to produce solid numbers at Triple-A (.807 OPS), he failed to make it back to the majors the following year. He inked a minor league pact with the Angels last November and appeared in a handful of games for the big league club in August and September, putting up an impressive .869 OPS in 28 trips to the plate. Leblanc split his playing time between all three bases in 2024, though he also has a bit of experience in left field. He still has minor league options remaining and can offer a team some defensive versatility and righty pop off the bench.

López, 31, made his way back to the majors with the Angels for the first time in nearly three years. After several seasons in the Royals minor league system and a brief stint in the Braves organization, he debuted with the Red Sox in 2021. He went 2-for-13 over seven games. The infielder spent the 2022 season at Triple-A for the Tigers before joining the Angels in 2023 and finally making it back to the big leagues in August 2024. He appeared in 27 games, splitting his time between second base and shortstop while slashing .254/.286/.343 (.629 OPS). López also has minor league options remaining, and his biggest asset is his ability to play shortstop.

Finally, Stefanic, 28, appeared in 40 games for the Angels this past season, largely at second base. He continued to tear the cover off the ball at Triple-A, which he has done for the past several years, but failed to make an impact at the MLB level. He slashed .218/.301/.255, and, unfortunately, his first big league home run continues to elude him. Stefanic has played 90 games for the Angels since his debut in 2022 and has yet to hit a single home run. He will be out of minor league options in 2025.

AL West Notes: Verlander, Yates, Pillar

By Mark Polishuk | September 21, 2024 at 1:28pm CDT

After being charged with six runs over 4 2/3 innings in yesterday’s start against the Angels, Justin Verlander now has an ugly 8.89 ERA in six starts and 27 1/3 frames since his return from the injured list. The veteran missed close to two and a half months due to an unspecified neck issue, but Verlander told reporters (including the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) yesterday that “I did have doctors say it’d probably take a little longer” to fully recover. “I think I came back from the neck injury a little fast. Obviously, I know the schedule, I know the calendar. I want to be an asset for this team. And to do that, I needed to be able to pitch and find out where I’m at. Obviously, the results have not been good. But there’s nothing you can do besides trying to pitch.”

Verlander described the process of trying to get fully right in the aftermath of this injury as the most difficult of his career, “because sometimes it’s just one thing that makes it click.” With just one regular-season start left before the playoffs, Verlander acknowledged that he might not be part of the Astros’ postseason rotation. While “it’s not my decision” to make, Verlander noted that “I was away for two months and all these guys were pitching fantastic. Seen a bunch of guys really come into their own.”

Angels Place Luis Rengifo On 10-Day IL, Select Charles Leblanc

By Nick Deeds | August 3, 2024 at 7:08pm CDT

The Angels announced prior to tonight’s game against the Mets that the club has selected the contract of infielder Charles Leblanc. The Angels already had space on the 40-man roster available in the aftermath of this week’s trade deadline, meaning no corresponding move was necessary to make room for Leblanc on the 40-man roster. Leblanc will take the place of infielder Luis Rengifo on the active roster as Rengifo was placed on the 10-day IL due to wrist inflammation.

Rengifo, 27, received plenty of trade interest in the run-up to the deadline himself but ultimately remained in Anaheim, perhaps in part due to concerns surrounding his wrist. The switch-hitter was placed on the IL with right wrist inflammation just under a month ago and was ultimately sidelined for around three weeks before being activated a week prior to the deadline. Rengifo has struggled badly since his return, however, slashing just .188/.257/.219 in nine games. A week-long slump isn’t necessarily indicative of anything serious, but manager Ron Washington told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) earlier this week that Rengifo had experienced a bit of a “flare-up” of his previous wrist injury and would be re-evaluated in the coming days.

The infielder took the next day off but appeared in yesterday’s contest, ultimately taking two at-bats before exiting in the fifth inning. Evidently, the continued problems with Rengifo’s wrist have now risen to the point where the club feels a second stint on the shelf is necessary. It’s not yet clear what the 27-year-old’s timetable for return looks like at this point, but it’s certainly a disappointing turn of events for a youngster who was enjoying a breakout season prior to the injury. Through July 2, Rengifo posted an excellent .319/.362/.448 slash line in 266 trips to the plate while splitting time between second and third base alongside cameos at shortstop and in right field. His switch-hitting bat, defensive versatility, and youth all figure to once again make him an attractive trade candidate this offseason, when he’ll go through his final trip through arbitration before free agency.

As for Leblanc, the 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Angels back in November and will now get his first opportunity in the majors since 2022. A fourth-round pick by the Rangers in the 2016 draft, Leblanc’s big league debut came six years later as a member of the Marlins. He ultimately played 48 games in Miami, slashing a respectable .263/.320/.404 with ten doubles, four homers, and four stolen bases in 169 trips to the plate for the club while splitting time between first base, second base, and third base. Leblanc spent the 2023 season in the minors with Miami and slashed a strong .253/.384/.423 but did not manage to crack the big league club. In 91 games at Triple-A with the Halos this year, Leblanc has shown similar on-base ability with a little more pop as he’s hit .262/.382/.472 in the offense-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. He’ll offer the Angels some depth for their infield mix for the time being amid injuries to both Rengifo and Anthony Rendon.

Angels Sign Charles Leblanc To Minor League Deal

By Nick Deeds | November 26, 2023 at 2:48pm CDT

The Angels have signed infielder Charles Leblanc to a minor league deal, per the transaction tracker on MLB.com. It’s unclear if the deal includes an invite to spring training.

Leblanc, 27, was a fourth-round pick by the Rangers in the 2016 draft. After spending six seasons at second and third base in Texas’s minor league system, Leblanc signed on with the Marlins on a minor league deal prior to the 2022 season. It didn’t take long for him to break into the big leagues with his new organization, as Miami called him up just before the trade deadline that July. Leblanc primarily played second base in the majors, though he did spend time at both first and third base as well. He did fairly well for himself at the dish in a bench role, slashing .263/.320/.404 in 169 plate appearances, good for a wRC+ of 104, though a 31.4% strikeout rate and a .374 BABIP both stood out as potential red flags.

Those concerns surely contributed to the Marlins designating Leblanc for assignment back in January, a move that cleared space on the 40-man roster for then-freshly signed infielder Jean Segura. Leblanc cleared outright waivers and remained in the Marlins organization for the 2023 campaign, spending the entire year at the Triple-A level. He once again split time between first, second, and third base and hit fairly well in 94 games at the level, slashing .253/.384/.423 in 370 trips to the plate with an eye-catching 16.5% walk rate. Following the 2023 season, Leblanc was once again eligible for minor league free agency, allowing him to sign on with the Halos ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Looking ahead to next season, Leblanc could prove to be a valuable piece of non-roster infield depth for the Angels. The club lost Gio Urshela to free agency earlier this month, and while Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Luis Rengifo could form a solid trio of young infielders for the club, Anthony Rendon has struggled to stay healthy in recent years and Brandon Drury profiles as a likely trade candidate if the Angels look to retool with franchise face Shohei Ohtani likely headed elsewhere in free agency this winter. Given those question marks, it’s certainly possible that there’s a path back to the majors available for Leblanc in Anaheim next year.

Marlins Outright Charles Leblanc

By Darragh McDonald | January 11, 2023 at 9:18pm CDT

Infielder Charles Leblanc has been passed through waivers by the Marlins and outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville, reports Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Leblanc was designated for assignment last week when the club signed Jean Segura.

Leblanc, 27 in June, was drafted by the Rangers in 2016 but was never added to their roster. In November of 2021, he was selected by the Marlins in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. He played well enough in Jacksonville to get selected to the big league roster in July. In 87 games for the Jumbo Shrimp, he hit .302/.381/.503 for a wRC+ of 134.

Once up in the big leagues, he got into 48 games and generally carried himself well. He hit .263/.320/.404 for a wRC+ of 107 while playing the three non-shortstop infield positions. Despite those strong points, there were also some concerning elements. His .374 batting average on balls in play was well beyond the .290 league average, suggesting there may have been some good fortune in his results. He also struck out in 31.4% of his trips to the plate, well beyond the 22.4% MLB mean.

It seems those latter points were strong enough to keep any of the 29 other teams from putting in a claim. That allows the Marlins to hang onto him as a depth piece who isn’t taking up a spot on the 40-man.

Marlins Designate Charles Leblanc For Assignment

By Anthony Franco | January 4, 2023 at 6:09pm CDT

The Marlins announced Wednesday evening that infielder Charles Leblanc has been designated for assignment. The move creates a 40-man roster vacancy for Jean Segura, who has officially signed his two-year free agent deal.

Leblanc earned his first MLB call last July. Signed to a minor league contract last offseason after seven years in the Texas farm system, he earned a look with Miami by hitting .302/.381/.503 line Triple-A Jacksonville. Leblanc held his MLB roster spot the rest of the way and hit .263/.320/.404 with four home runs through his first 169 plate appearances. That production checked in seven percentage points above league average, by measure of wRC+.

Considering Leblanc’s solid bottom line numbers, it’s a moderate surprise he lost his 40-man roster spot this winter. It’s clear the Miami front office wasn’t bullish on his ability to continue to hit at an above-average level. Leblanc benefitted from an unsustainable .374 batting average on balls in play, masking an alarming 31.4% strikeout percentage. He’d also struck out at a notable 27.2% clip in Jacksonville.

That’s surely a concern, although Leblanc actually made contact at a decent clip on a per-pitch basis. He put the bat on the ball on 76.4% of his swings, a figure that’s almost exactly league average. Leblanc took plenty of called strikes and put himself in some unfavorable counts, but he fared reasonably well at making contact when deciding to swing.

The 26-year-old has some defensive flexibility. He suited up at each of first, second and third base in the majors and logged a decent amount of left field run in Triple-A. Leblanc had some early-career work at shortstop in the minors but isn’t more than an emergency stopgap there. Nevertheless, the ability to bounce around the diamond and his solid 2022 campaign at the upper levels seemingly give him a good shot at landing elsewhere in the coming days.

Miami will have a week to trade Leblanc or try to run him through waivers. He still has all three minor league option years remaining, meaning any team willing to carry him on the 40-man can freely move him between the majors and Triple-A for the extended future.

Marlins Place Trevor Rogers On Injured List, Designate Willians Astudillo

By Anthony Franco | July 29, 2022 at 4:33pm CDT

The Marlins have made a handful of moves in advance of tonight’s series opener with the Mets (relayed by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). Starter Trevor Rogers has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 26, with lower back spasms. Miami also selected reliever Jake Fishman and infielder Charles Leblanc onto the big league roster, designating Willians Astudillo for assignment. To clear a second 40-man roster spot, the Marlins transferred Max Meyer from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. That was a formality, as the top prospect is set to undergo Tommy John surgery that’ll cost him the next year-plus.

Rogers had been slated to start tomorrow, but the Marlins will obviously have to find a replacement. The IL stint is the latest in what has been a frustrating season for the southpaw, who looked to have broken out as one of the game’s top young pitchers a year ago. Rogers pitched to a 2.64 ERA and earned an All-Star nod in 2021, but he’s gone in the opposite direction this season. He owns just a 5.85 ERA through 87 2/3 innings, watching his strikeout rate plummet from 28.5% to 20.8% in the process.

Astudillo has bounced on and off the roster a couple times this season. The former Twins utilityman signed a minor league deal with Miami over the winter, and he’s posted an excellent .321/.364/.557 showing through 33 Triple-A contests. Astudillo, owner of perhaps the sport’s best bat-to-ball skills, has only gone down on strikes in 4.3% of his minor league plate appearances, but he’s not made much of an impact in 21 MLB contests. Despite fanning in just three of his 55 trips to the dish, he owns a meager .241/.255/.296 showing with one homer and a 1.8% walk rate.

The Marlins will presumably again place Astudillo on waivers over the next few days. He’s already passed through the wire unclaimed this year and accepted an outright assignment to their top affiliate in Jacksonville. It’s possible he eventually winds up back with the Jumbo Shrimp, but he’d again have the right to elect minor league free agency if he goes unclaimed.

Leblanc and the aptly-named Fishman are each joining the Marlins for what’ll be their major league debuts. The former is a 26-year-old infielder who was a fourth-round draftee of the Rangers out of the University of Pittsburgh back in 2016. Leblanc spent six years in the Texas system, mostly splitting his time between second and third base, before signing a minor league deal with Miami last offseason. The right-handed hitter has impressed over 360 plate appearances in Jacksonville, hitting .302/.381/.503 with 14 home runs. Leblanc’s 27.2% strikeout rate is higher than ideal, but he’s done enough from a power perspective to get an MLB call.

Fishman, 27, also entered pro ball in that 2016 draft. He fell to the 30th round, where the Blue Jays selected the Union College product. Fishman briefly reached Triple-A in the Toronto system before qualifying for minor league free agency during the 2020-21 offseason. He’s spent the past two years working as a multi-inning reliever in Jacksonville. This season, the southpaw has an excellent 1.87 ERA with a robust 54.3% ground-ball rate across 43 1/3 innings, posting roughly average strikeout and walk rates (24.4% and 9.1%, respectively).

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