Orioles select contracts of LeBlanc and Milone

The Orioles appear to have made a couple of important roster decisions as they approach opening day.

The club announced tonight that it purchased the contracts of left-handers Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone, who are likely to be included on the pitching staff that breaks summer training camp.

LeBlanc is in line to be the No. 3 starter after signing a minor league deal on Feb. 1. Milone could be slotted as the fourth or fifth starter or be used in a long relief/swingman role.

Either way, he also seems to have nailed down a spot on the team. The dots are easy to connect.

The 40-man roster contains 39 players and the 60-man player pool holds firm at 53.

LeBlanc, 35, tossed five scoreless innings in Sunday's scrimmage. He's slated to start the final exhibition game Tuesday night against the Nationals in D.C., which also would enable him to work on normal rest in the July 26 game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

More dots to connect.

The Orioles are LeBlanc's eighth major league team as he approaches his 12th season. He made 26 appearances with the Mariners last summer and registered a 5.71 ERA and 1.451 WHIP in 121 1/3 innings.

Though used in a bulk relief role for much of the 2019 season, LeBlanc is ticketed for the Orioles rotation as they seek to cover the innings lost with Dylan Bundy traded to the Angels.

Milone, 33, signed his minor league deal on Feb. 14 after going 4-10 with a 4.76 ERA and 1.119 WHIP in 23 games with the Mariners. He seems to be traveling the same path at LeBlanc, including his bullpen role in 2019.

The Orioles have room for Milone in their rotation and he made a compelling argument by retiring 15 of 16 batters in Tuesday night's intrasquad game.

Milone will be pitching for his seventh team in 10 seasons.

Asher Wojciechowski and Kohl Stewart also are starter candidates and appear to have spots sewn up, with their duties outlined later. But nothing is official at this point.

Manager Brandon Hyde is in the process of whittling down the camp roster to the final 30 players. The Orioles have scheduled three more intrasquad games before playing three exhibitions leading up to opening day.