O's sign Wade LeBlanc

[Yardball85]

 

[Can_of_corn]

And to think folks didn't think the O's would spend this offseason.

[SteveA]

If we're going to sign someone from the cast of Friends, I'd just as soon it be Jennifer Aniston.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

MiLB deal too.

[Frobby]

Well, I’ve heard of him, so there’s that.  

[MurphDogg]

Glad there will be a player on the team older than me. That is nice.

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Glad there will be a player on the team older than me. That is nice.

Jim Thome.

[MurphDogg]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Jim Thome.

At least he was the third oldest player in the AL that season. I turned 34 last year, and there was nobody on the club older. Too soon.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

At least he was the third oldest player in the AL that season. I turned 34 last year, and there was nobody on the club older. Too soon.

Maybe five years from now they bring someone on and surprise you.

[weams]

 

[wildcard]

Good 2017 and 2018.   The juiced ball got him last year.    Had  a strained oblique in late April/early May.

[weams]

 

[Just Regular]

I wonder if Means similar repertoire was a factor, either as buddy or a style they may like.  He did do some following Openers already last year.

[weams]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Good 2017 and 2018.   The juiced ball got him last year.    Had  a strained oblique in late April/early May.

Quote

LeBlanc was harmed as much as any starter in the game with last year’s juiced ball, as he yielded a staggering 2.1 homers per nine innings pitched and saw his ERA balloon by nearly two full runs over its 2018 levels (5.71 in ’19 versus 3.72 in ’18). In spite of the poor bottom-line run prevention (or lack thereof), the veteran southpaw still maintained similar K/BB tendencies to the ones he showed in a solid three-year stretch that preceded the 2019 season.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/01/orioles-sign-wade-leblanc.html

[Tony-OH]

Not sure I understand this signing. He's a soft tossing 35-year old lefty who was in the bottom 10% of the league in xBA and xSLG. Similiar to Means, his best pitch is a changeup and last year he went to a cutter over his sinker more times than not. The cutter got hit pretty hard, but so did his sinker so maybe they will scrap both and have him go to a pure four seamer which had a little bit of success last year when up in the zone, even though it has low spin rate.

https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/46dacf61-a1a4-465a-91c0-740f35af715f.mp4

Either way, I realize there is not a lot of good competition for starter innings, but not sure where the upside is here because the chance of a soft tossing lefty who had a penchant of giving up home runs is going to regain any kind of trade value by the trading deadline is slim.

Guess best case scenario he's able to eat some inning and somehow get on a run that we can move him for a Cashner like return.