Reds: 3 veteran free agent relievers Cincinnati should sign right away

2. Adding Wade LeBlanc would improve the Reds bullpen.

Wade LeBlanc was just recently designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles. LeBlanc chose free agency, and there’s a chance the left-hander could latch on with a team in the coming days. The Cincinnati Reds would do well to investigate bringing the 36-year-old into the fold.

LeBlanc’s career spans 13 seasons and he’s played for eight different franchises during that time. His longest stint was the four years he spend in San Diego as a member of the Padres organization. More recently, LeBlanc has called the American League home, playing the last four seasons with the Orioles and Seattle Mariners.

It’s safe to say that an additional left-hander could be a valuable pick up for Nick Krall and the Cincinnati front office. Amir Garrett has been a shell of himself during the first month of the season, preferring to do more yapping with his mouth while allowing his ERA to balloon to 11.25. Sean Doolittle hasn’t been a terrible signing, but his lefty/ righty splits aren’t encouraging.

LeBlanc certainly isn’t the pitcher from 2014 to 2018 (3.92 ERA). Over the last three seasons, LeBlanc’s ERA is sitting at 6.23, and the southpaw has 111 strikeouts over 150-plus innings of work. No, those are not spectacular, but LeBlanc’s career splits don’t skew quite the way Garrett’s do, giving you some hope that the three-batter minimum wouldn’t handicap him too much.

If the Reds are looking for an additional left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen, Wade LeBlanc may be their best option. LeBlanc was a starter last season, but has come out of the bullpen five out of the six times he saw the field in 2021. Signing LeBlanc would be a low-cost, depth signing if Cincinnati chose to go in that direction.