Wade LeBlanc

WTM’S PLAYER PROFILE

2006
A-:  1-0-0, 4.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 8.6 K/9
A:  4-1-0, 2.20 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 7.4 K/9

The Padres sent LeBlanc to short-season ball for seven games, three of them starts, and his peripherals were better than his ERA.  They then moved him up to low A and he pitched well over seven starts.  Baseball America rated him San Diego’s 16th best prospect after the season.

2007
A+:  6-5-0, 2.64 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 92.0 IP, 1.7 BB/9, 8.8 K/9
AA:  7-3-0, 3.45 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 57.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 8.6 K/9

LeBlanc had a big season, dominating in the heavy-hitting California League before moving up and pitching very well in AA.  BA rated him the Padres’ fourth best prospect after the season.

2008
AAA:  11-9-0, 5.32 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 138.2 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
MLB:  1-3-0, 8.02 ERA, 2.06 WHIP, 21.1 IP, 6.3 BB/9, 5.9 K/9

LeBlanc had considerably more trouble in AAA.  He didn’t allow a lot of runners and he continued striking out hitters, but he allowed 21 HRs, better than one every seven innings.  He also struggled badly in a September callup.  BA still rated him the Padres’ 12th best prospect after the season.

2009
AAA:  4-9-0, 3.87 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 121.0 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 7.1 K/9
MLB:  3-1-0, 3.69 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 46.1 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 5.8 K/9

LeBlanc pitched better in AAA, although he continued to have a little trouble with HRs, allowing 15.  He got a callup in June for two starts that went badly.  San Diego called him up again at the end of August and he pitched very well over seven starts, posting a 2.57 ERA.

2010
AAA:  0-1-0, 7.20 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 0.9 BB/9, 13.5 K/9
MLB:  8-12-0, 4.25 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 146.0 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

The Padres sent LeBlanc back to AAA to start the season, but after two starts they called him up.  He stayed in their rotation until the end of August, then made just one relief appearance in September.  He pitched just decently and again had gopher ball problems, allowing 24, one every six innings.

2011
AAA:  9-1-0, 4.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 126.2 IP, 2.4 BB/9, 7.8 K/9
MLB:  5-6-0, 4.63 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 79.2 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 5.8 K/9

LeBlanc opened the season back in AAA, but made three separate trips to the majors.  The last came at the end of July and he spent the rest of the season in the Padres’ rotation.  He pitched much the same as the previous year, still fairly hittable but with fewer HRs (7).  After the season, the Padres traded him to Miami.

2012
AAA:  5-5-0, 3.74 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 98.2 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 8.3 K/9
MLB:  2-5-0, 3.67 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 68.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 5.6 K/9

The Marlins sent LeBlanc to AAA for the first half of the season, where his peripherals were better than his ERA.  He spent the last half of the season with Miami, making nine starts and 16 relief appearances.  He was much better as a reliever, with a 2.53 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, compared to 4.18 and 1.42 as a starter.

2013
AAA (Hou):  3-1-1, 4.71 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 49.2 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 8.5 K/9
MLB (Mia):  1-5-0, 5.18 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 5.7 K/9
MLB (Hou):  0-0-0, 7.11 ERA, 2.21 WHIP, 6.1 IP, 7.1 BB/9, 2.8 K/9

LeBlanc started the season in the Miami rotation and got pummeled, with a 6.11 ERA through seven starts.  The Marlins moved him to the bullpen and he pitched much better, but the Marlins put him on waivers in June and Houston claimed him.  He pitched three times in relief for the Astros and they outrighted him to AAA.  He got hit moderately hard there, with a good K rate, pitching both in relief and starting.  Houston called him up again for one appearance, which went poorly, and then outrighted him back to AAA for the rest of the season.  He became a free agent in the fall and signed a minor league deal with the Angels.

2014
AAA (LAA):  10-4-0, 4.43 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 128.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 8.4 K/9
MLB (LAA):  1-1-0, 3.45 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 28.2 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 6.6 K/9
MLB (NYY):  0-0-0, 18.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 1.0 IP, 9.0 BB/9, 0.0 K/9

LeBlanc opened the season in AAA, but was called up in late May.  That started a long odyssey in which he was dfa’d six days later, claimed off waivers by the Yankees, pitched one game and then was dfa’d by the Yankees, elected free agency, signed a minor league deal with the Angels once more, was called up a month later, was outrighted a week later, was called up again five days later, and then finally non-tendered after the season.  Through it all, LeBlanc didn’t pitch especially well through 22 AAA starts.  He had good walk and K rates, but opponents hit .288 against him.  With the Angels, he made three starts and six relief appearances, and pitched well.

2015
JAPAN:  2-5-0, 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 5.2 K/9

LeBlanc went to Japan to pitch for Seibu.  He made eight starts and had some control problems.  After the season, he signed a minor league deal with Toronto.

2016
AAA (Tor):  7-2-0, 1.71 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 89.2 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 8.5 K/9
MLB (Sea):  3-0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 50.0 IP, 1.6 BB/9, 7.4 K/9
MLB:  1-0-1, 0.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 1.5 BB/9, 7.5 K/9

Toronto sent LeBlanc to AAA, where he pitched as a starter.  He put up possibly the best numbers he ever had at the level.  In June, Seattle traded a PTBNL or cash for him and called him up.  LeBlanc made eight starts and three relief appearances for the Mariners and pitched well for the most part, walking very few, posting a solid K rate and allowing a .261 average to go with just a .293 OBP.  He had massive gopher ball problems, allowing 14, or one every three and a half innings.  Seattle outrighted him to AAA in early September and traded him to the Pirates nine days later.  The Pirates called LeBlanc up when they acquired him, the same day they put Gerrit Cole on the disabled list the same day.  They had already called up a number of other pitchers, but Neftali Feliz and A.J. Schugel were both out at the time, so uncertainty about their availability may have contributed to the need for LeBlanc.  He pitched well in a dozen innings.

2017
MLB:  5-2-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 68.0 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

LeBlanc was eligible for arbitration after the season, but the Pirates signed him to a contract for 2017, with a team option for 2018.  He spent the season mostly as a long man, although the Pirates occasionally used him as a setup man due to the extreme problems they had with their bullpen.  LeBlanc got off to a very good start, with a 2.41 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through June 3.  At that point he reverted to his career norms and posted a 6.55 ERA and 1.40 WHIP the rest of the way.  Gopher balls were especially a problem, as LeBlanc allowed eight, along with a .533 slugging average, over his last 34.1 IP.  He continued to have a reverse platoon split, with a .658 opponents’ OPS against right-handed hitters and .833 against left-handed hitters.  At the beginning of September, the Pirates put him on irrevocable waivers but, unsurprisingly, there were no takers.  He pitched only five times in the final month and only once after September 13.

It would make no sense for the Pirates to pick up LeBlanc’s option or retain him on the roster (he’s not eligible for free agency, so if the Pirates decline the option he’ll just become eligible for arbitration).  He’s an easily replaceable pitcher and the Pirates should be looking for more upside.  Hopefully, the waiver move and the lack of playing time late in the year are indications that they won’t exercise the option.  The team has, though, developed an odd and self-defeating fascination with replacement-level middle relievers in recent seasons.  The idea seems to be that they need a lot of middle relievers because they have some young starters who may get removed from games early.  Having a reliever pitch multiple innings isn’t helpful, though, if the reliever doesn’t pitch good innings.

UPDATE:  The Pirates in fact declined LeBlanc’s option and outrighted him to AAA.  He’s been outrighted previously, so he has the option of electing free agency.