Return of Wade LeBlanc: Mariners reportedly sign left-hander to big-league contract
Left-handed pitcher Wade LeBlanc has agreed to a deal to return to the Mariners, reported Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.
LeBlanc was released by the Yankees late Friday. The 33-year old has nine seasons of big-league service to his resume, including a 2016 stint with the Mariners, when he started eight games and had a 4.50 ERA in 50 innings.
Reliever Wade LeBlanc, who was released by the #Yankees on Friday at his request, has agreed to a big-league deal with the #Mariners, source says. Jerry Dipoto adds a reliever after losing David Phelps for the season with Tommy John surgery.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) March 24, 2018
The Mariners had not confirmed the report.
But it made some sense after LeBlanc was cut, especially with the Mariners looking for bullpen depth in the wake of David Phelps’ season-ending ulnar collateral ligament tear.
He’s apparently the Mariners’ go-to injury fill in. When he arrived in Seattle in June, 2016, he was filling in for then-injured Taijuan Walker.
For his career, LeBlanc is 30-35 with a 4.40 ERA as both as starter and reliever. He pitched last season with the Pirates, appearing in 68 innings, all out of the bullpen, with a 4.50 ERA.
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This story was originally published March 24, 2018 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Return of Wade LeBlanc: Mariners reportedly sign left-hander to big-league contract."