Can Wade LeBlanc Be Successful? Milton Bradley Suspended, Astros Fire Manager

This article originally appeared on Friar Forecast.

* With today’s victory over the Pirates, Wade LeBlanc is 2-1 with a 3.93 ERA in 34.1 innings. Unfortunately, he has also walked 17 batters, while striking out only 19.

LeBlanc’s average fastball speed is under 85 miles per hour. It is rare that a pitcher finds success in the big leagues with such a slow fastball, but it is nearly impossible to do so while also walking a batter every other inning.  In the minors, LeBlanc has never had a control problem, but because his stuff is so mediocre, he might feel like he has to nibble at the major league level.

* The Cubs have suspended Milton Bradley for the rest of the season.

I feel sorry for the guy. He played inspired ball for the Padres in 2007, posting a 1.004 OPS during his stint in San Diego. Since then, I have rooted for him to succeed, and last year he did just that with Texas.

Unfortunately, Bradley has a long history of injuries and blow-ups, the latter of which has effectively ended his time in Chicago.  I agree with Jack Moore, who writes: “Some team with a need in the outfield or at DH should take a look at Bradley—it won’t be costly and the benefits could be enormous.”

* The Astros fired manager Cecil Cooper with 14 games left to play in the season. According to ESPN, GM Ed Wade said, “The changes could not wait until the end of the season.” I do not see why that is the case.

The Astros, who were 70-79 when Cooper was fired, are not that talented of a team. As I wrote back in July, the Astros lacked the lineup depth and starting pitching necessary to seriously contend this season. That they were 70-79 in mid-September is not surprising.

The results do not suggest Cooper did a terrible job. Firing him with 14 games to go is not going to help the Astros this season and does not benefit the team in the future either. Wade seems to have been looking for a scapegoat, and Cooper was the one slaughtered. Classless.