Wade LeBlanc back on a minor league deal

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, OrioleDog said:

A tough guessing game because I think there's a big range of possibilities is who starts the first five games of the year for Norfolk?   It isn't often you can get LeBlanc and Grayson in the same mix.

It's almost all daydreaming, but if you don't want to give Rodriguez/Hall September cups of coffee, and you do want them to pitch games for 5 months/20 starts, Norfolk April is an arrow in the quiver.   

Cup of coffee-wise, they need to pitch well enough to earn consideration for them, but both Marlins 1st round high school pitchers a year ahead of them did last year.

Starters can get 20 turns in 4 months, but after 2020 I don't think the treadmill will go that fast for very young pitchers.   

I don't see much of a chance for Rodriguez to make that huge jump to the Norfolk rotation with Baumann (assuming he doesn't make the Orioles opening day roster), Lowther, Smith, Wells, Ashton Goudeau (assuming he doesn't make OD roster) and Kyle Bradish ahead of him. Besides, while I could see Rodriguez ending his year in AA this season, I don't see them pushing him to AAA so soon even with the delay of AA and A ball seasons.

[Tony-OH]

9 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

My bigger point with these guys is that there isn’t enough there to keep them on the team over more accomplished young pitching.  I would much rather see the guys like Lowther, Wells, etc..on this team than these guys.

Eh, both Lowther and Wells cold use some AAA time. If we can add in arms that project to be useful and cheap, I'm fine with keeping them on the roster and Lowther and Wells in AAA. Saying that, I think we will definitely see Lowther at some point in 2021 and maybe Wells depending on how he's pitching and need of the ballclub.

Based on what I've read and the stats, I don't see Wells being a guy with enough upside to keep unless he proves he has the stuff to stick as a starter. 

[Sports Guy]

5 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Eh, both Lowther and Wells cold use some AAA time. If we can add in arms that project to be useful and cheap, I'm fine with keeping them on the roster and Lowther and Wells in AAA. Saying that, I think we will definitely see Lowther at some point in 2021 and maybe Wells depending on how he's pitching and need of the ballclub.

Based on what I've read and the stats, I don't see Wells being a guy with enough upside to keep unless he proves he has the stuff to stick as a starter. 

Well, I’m not expecting them to be there immediately but it could be relatively soon and I don’t want those guys blocked by these low upside, mediocre prospects.

If you like them more than Sulser, Valdez and Lakins, that’s fine.  But they need to really show that upside to make the team.
 

It’s bad enough they are still willfully employing bad players when better alternatives are there.  We don’t need to do that and potentially block better arms just because you hope they are a middling middle reliever in a few years. 

[Tony-OH]

7 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well, I’m not expecting them to be there immediately but it could be relatively soon and I don’t want those guys blocked by these low upside, mediocre prospects.

If you like them more than Sulser, Valdez and Lakins, that’s fine.  But they need to really show that upside to make the team.
 

It’s bad enough they are still willfully employing bad players when better alternatives are there.  We don’t need to do that and potentially block better arms just because you hope they are a middling middle reliever in a few years. 

I don't think they block anyone and you just gave three reasons right there why. IF the Orioles think these guys can be part of a rotation or most likely future bullpen, you definitely keep them over place holder like those three.

Regardless, I don't think either one keeps pitchers like Lowther, Baumann or Wells from making their debuts. They will make debuts is they are pitching well and there is a need in the rotation through either injury or lack of performance.

We have to remember, while Akin and Kremer, and Zimmermann to a much lesser extent, have spots in the rotation right now, they are far from established major league starters and could need to go back to AAA at some point. That would present opportunities for the other three. I still personally think Akin will be much better in a relief role and that Lowther will end up a better starting pitcher despite the good metrics that Akin brings.

[Bahama O's Fan]

I just think Leblanc is a meh move. If he is needed to pitch much, we aren't going anywhere. Management doesn't believe in rushing the arms, so if they aren't ready, they will stay in the minors and Leblanc will pitch some innings, he will look bad, we will lose some games, but we aren't contending anyway, so...

[ScGO's]

Maybe Wade Leblanc can be this year's Tommy Milone!  In fact, lets sign Tommy Milone and see which one will be this year's Tommy Milone.  Two shots at accidentally pitching to a 3.99 ERA and getting flipped for a couple lottery tickets!

I wonder if Wade could have value as a reliever.  His career splits show that lefties tend to destroy him, but for whatever reason, hidden in last year's gem of a season, he did hold lefties to a .188 avg with no homers.  Maybe at his ripe old age he's found a nifty way of getting lefties out. 

Elias probably wants to bring him to camp so they can use him as a litmus paper for the other prospects.  If you can't show me better stuff than Wade, you're going back to the minors. 

Maybe they like the guy and he shows coaching potential and they want to offer him a coaching position in the system after they cut him.

[Explosivo]

Exactly. The goal is not to win but to develop the future. Expect that for the next two years and reap the rewards soon.

[SteveA]

4 hours ago, OrioleDog said:

A tough guessing game because I think there's a big range of possibilities is who starts the first five games of the year for Norfolk?   It isn't often you can get LeBlanc and Grayson in the same mix.

It's almost all daydreaming, but if you don't want to give Rodriguez/Hall September cups of coffee, and you do want them to pitch games for 5 months/20 starts, Norfolk April is an arrow in the quiver.   

Cup of coffee-wise, they need to pitch well enough to earn consideration for them, but both Marlins 1st round high school pitchers a year ahead of them did last year.

Starters can get 20 turns in 4 months, but after 2020 I don't think the treadmill will go that fast for very young pitchers.   

I have lost complete track of which rules were just for 2020 for Covid, which rules might be for 2021 for Covid as well, and which rules are Forever.

Will there be September callups this year?   Will it just be 2 roster spots?

[wildcard]

3 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Wells was a weird claim because he doesn't appear to have a ton of upside, but I'll assume they saw something in the statcast info that suggest he has value. Mac Sceroler has a little upside but very little experience so it might be tough to make that jump, but they could keep him in relief role.

Please tell me more about what you don't like about Tyler Wells.   He is 6-8, 265.  At 23 he was 10-6  in 21 starts in 119 IP, 83 H. 0.955 WHIP.   His last 6 starts in AA went well.  Then he had TJ surgery, didn't pitch in 2019 and missed 2020 because of no minor league season.     If he is healthy  and back to where he was, what is wrong with him?

[DrinkinWithFermi]

7 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Why?  Nothing wrong with losing your ticket to the titanic.

I was referring to the fact that our current de facto #2 starter is a soft-tossing 37 year old that had an 8+ ERA last year and everyone after him is an unproven rookie, and thus the bullpen may get run into the ground in short order. I'd be kinda nervous atm if I was one of those guys.

 

[Moose Milligan]

8 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Why?  Nothing wrong with losing your ticket to the titanic.

 

Lol, this ain't the Titanic.  If it was, it sunk sometime around 1987.  

This is like two schmucks in a skiff off the coast of the Eastern Shore somewhere who got lost and can't find their way back.

[Can_of_corn]

10 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

 

Lol, this ain't the Titanic.  If it was, it sunk sometime around 1987.  

This is like two schmucks in a skiff off the coast of the Eastern Shore somewhere who got lost and can't find their way back.

 

[NCRaven]

1 hour ago, DrinkinWithFermi said:

I was referring to the fact that our current de facto #2 starter is a soft-tossing 37 year old that had an 8+ ERA last year and everyone after him is an unproven rookie, and thus the bullpen may get run into the ground in short order. I'd be kinda nervous atm if I was one of those guys.

 

I think you are reading too much into the LeBlanc signing.  He is in no way, shape, or form, our #2 starter.  I agree with Tony, he's here incase we have nothing else and is more likely to be released at the end of spring training than to play a prominent  role in our rotation for more than a couple of months to start the season.

[SteveA]

11 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

I think you are reading too much into the LeBlanc signing.  He is in no way, shape, or form, our #2 starter.  I agree with Tony, he's here incase we have nothing else and is more likely to be released at the end of spring training than to play a prominent  role in our rotation for more than a couple of months to start the season.

I'll bet when we signed Tommy Milone last year, YOU probably didn't think he was our Opening Day starter either.

[Sports Guy]

28 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

I think you are reading too much into the LeBlanc signing.  He is in no way, shape, or form, our #2 starter.  I agree with Tony, he's here incase we have nothing else and is more likely to be released at the end of spring training than to play a prominent  role in our rotation for more than a couple of months to start the season.

I think Tony is mostly right but as of today, it would be surprising to me if he doesn’t make the rotation.

 We will see what other moves are made but right now, he has a spot.