Wade LeBlanc

A late signee last spring, LeBlanc built up his arm strength throughout April before joining the Mariners' rotation in May. In the end, he was one of Seattle's most dependable starters, finishing third on the team in strikeouts and second among its rotation members in WHIP. He has one of the most balanced repertoires in the game; LeBlanc throws his fastball, cutter and changeup all between 25-35% of the time, and he incorporates a curveball close to 10% of the time. Only one of those pitches -- his cutter -- is really an above-average pitch, but he commands them all well enough and mixes them well enough to be effective. The K-rate won't get anyone excited, but he did boost his strikeout rate to over 21% in the second half and his 33.9% O-Swing% was a top-20 mark among pitchers with 150 innings. Owners would be wise to pick their spots carefully, as LeBlanc has always been prone to the long ball (career 1.32 HR/9).

Pitching for his seventh major league team in six seasons, LeBlanc was nearly unhittable in his eight outings (12 innings, one earned run) for Pittsburgh in 2016. He owns a career 4.39 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in parts of eight seasons, but the 32-year-old lefty has pitched a bit better coming back from Japan after the 2015 campaign. Most likely, he'll continue to toil as a LOOGY for Pittsburgh or another team in 2017, given that his fastball -- 87.8 mph average before Japan, 86.9 mph after Japan -- hasn't appreciably changed, and he hasn't uncovered a new pitch. LeBlanc threw his changeup at a career-high 30 percent clip, but that isn't enough to change his profile to anything more than that of a situational reliever.

It was an interesting season for LeBlanc, who was claimed off waivers by the Yankees in June, only to be re-signed by the Halos a few weeks later after being outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LeBlanc saw his ups and downs in between, including another placement on waivers in August, but he had a strong showing in September, allowing just one earned run in 19 innings over eight appearances (two starts). While the 30-year-old didn't see the same level of success at Triple-A Salt Lake, his peripherals were strong, as he posted a 21.6% strikeout rate, and allowed just 11 home runs in 128 innings. Despite his run of success in September, LeBlanc was non-tendered by the Angels and ultimately decided to pitch in Japan in 2015 with the Seibu Lions.

LeBlanc didn't have a strong showing in 2013, as he pitched to a combined 5.40 ERA with the Marlins and Astros last season. The left-hander signed a minor league deal with the Angels in November, where he will likely serve as rotation depth.

LeBlanc functioned as a swing man for the Marlins in 2012 and actually notched a respectable 3.67 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 68.2 innings pitched in the majors (nine starts, 16 relief appearances). The lefty posted similar numbers in 16 Triple-A starts (3.74 ERA and 1.13 WHIP) with much improved command ratios against the lesser competition. LeBlanc's arsenal comprises three flavors of high-80s heat (four-seam, two-seam and cutter) and a solid changeup that is complemented by a slow hooking curveball. Under contract through 2016, LeBlanc will get a look as a back-end starter in the Marlins' barren rotation and could be serviceable if he maintains the career-low 2.5 BB/9 he flashed last season.

After spending the first six seasons of his career in the Padres organization, LeBlanc was shipped to Miami in exchange for catcher John Baker. His overall numbers are far from appealing to fantasy owners, and in 2011 he posted a 4.63 ERA and a reduced K/9IP of 5.76 with a career-low 1.82 K/BB. Looking at his home/road splits makes an even greater case against him -- 3.65 ERA with a 1.93 K:BB ratio at Petco vs. a 5.86 ERA and 1.69 K:BB ratio everywhere else. He's buried on the depth chart in Miami, and in 2012 will either find a spot in the bullpen doing mop-up duty or end up back in Triple-A.

In his first full season as a starter, LeBlanc was useful to fantasy owners, until a disastrous August knocked him from the Padres' rotation. He was able to reduce his walk rate, while maintaining his strikeout rate, but a home run rate of 1.48 HR/9IP had a way of making it all for naught. Moving forward, if he can approach the 8.1 K/9IP strikeout rate he had in Triple-A, he'll be able to make some real headway. As is, he's fortunate that he pitches in PETCO as his long-ball woes would play much worse in another ballpark. LeBlanc might not begin the year in the rotation, following the Padres' acquisitions of Aaron Harang and Dustin Moseley in the offseason.

The Padres are lousy with pitchers like LeBlanc, who rely on command, deception and not allowing home runs. The lefty bounced back from an off year in 2008 and made it back to the majors, filling in nicely at season's end. His upside is last year's line with 30 starts, and the downside is...pretty ugly. He's not someone to target in your draft.

LeBlanc earned a late-season audition after a good year at Triple-A Portland, highlighted by an impressive 139:42 K:BB ratio in 138.2 innings. His ERA was a bit high at 5.32, largely the result of surrendering 21 homers. This carried over to his September tryout, as he served up seven gopher balls in only 21.1 big league innings. He also had an unimpressive 15:14 K:BB ratio. Even though this is a limited sample, LeBlanc will need a good spring to show he is indeed ready to help the Padres' staff. The key will be his home-run rate, as LeBlanc's minor league history suggests he will overcome his September control woes.

LeBlanc asserted himself among San Diego's top prospects with an excellent 2007 split almost evenly between High-A and Double-A. He has strikeout stuff (145 in 149.1 innings) and excellent control (only 36 walks). The lefty is working towards a potential major league rotation spot in 2009, when he will be 24 years old.