The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly added some pitching depth by agreeing to sign left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a minor-league contract. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that LeBlanc obtains an invitation to big league Spring Training.
LeBlanc, 31, spent the 2015 season pitching for the Seibu Lions in Japan, where he posted a 4.23 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 18 walks in 44.2 innings spanning eight starts. He’s a longtime MLB starter who last pitched at the big league level for the 2014 Los Angeles Angels.
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The San Diego Padres initially selected LeBlanc in the second round of the 2006 draft and he reached the big leagues two years later. He has a 4.47 ERA with 302 strikeouts against 159 walks in seven seasons with the Padres, Angels, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
The Blue Jays need rotation depth at triple-A Buffalo after trading lots of upper-level pitching last summer. Earlier this offseason the Blue Jays added some triple-A pitching by signing Scott Diamond to a minor league contract. Drew Hutchison will arrive in Spring Training with a chance to win a big league rotation spot, but the right-hander does have options remaining. Chad Jenkins could also start for Buffalo.
