SURPRISE, Ariz. — When Jose Leclerc signed a four-year, $14.75 million contract at the start of 2019, it came with what he felt were added responsibilities.
First and foremost, to be an elite reliever. And then also to be a clubhouse leader, even though he was only 25 years old at the time.
“I think in 2019, I maybe put too much pressure on myself,” Leclerc said. “But now I don’t have to think about pressure.
“The first year, maybe I was little excited. Last year, I couldn’t pitch. Now, I have to take it another way. I have to just try to help the team.”
Leclerc enters this spring training in a slightly different position. He still, in theory, could be the team’s closer. But it’s not a given.
After he pitched to a 4.33 ERA in 2019 and missed all but two games in 2020 because of a shoulder injury, this spring is about Leclerc getting back to the pitcher who dominated as a closer in 2018.
But that could take on different forms. He even brought up the idea of starting to manager Chris Woodward.
“The way he handled that just showed me a lot about who this kid is,” Woodward said of Leclerc in 2019. “The multiple innings, dominant, back-end leverage guy — the thing is, you can pitch him one day in the eighth or ninth and the next day you can throw him six and seven.”
He said the key for him this year is to focus more on commanding his fastball better and less about throwing extremely hard. His career average fastball velocity is 96.2 mph, per FanGraphs.
He’s trying to adjust his mound mentality to keep his mind from racing all over the place. He practiced this by pitching in slow motion.
“I was thinking too much in 2019,” Leclerc said. “I tried to be the best. ... But this year, I’m just trying to not think too much.”
Woodward hopes Hearn eventually will be a starter: Woodward said he still views left-handed pitcher Taylor Hearn as a starter long-term in his career, even if then plan with him short-term is still up in the air.
“We’re gonna build him up,” Woodward said. “Obviously we want to see him pitch length. I don’t know what the eventual role on the team will be.”
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