Blanton signs three-year, $24 million extension
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Blanton signs three-year, $24 million extension
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Updated:
Phillies righthander Joe Blanton, who signed a 3-year, $24 million contract extension Thursday, spoke about his deal at a news conference: "They came at me with the prospect of going long-term. I was thrilled. I've enjoyed my time here in the past year-and-a-half. I just feel the organization has gotten better and better.
"When you hit free agency, you want to go to a winner. I'm already with a winner, so I was thrilled."
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said about the signing: "It was important for us to continue a pretty good trend. We like to keep our players in the system. Joe has been outstanding. He has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball."
Blanton, 29, went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA in 31 starts last season and made four appearances (two starts) in the postseason. He was arbitration-eligible. In 44 regular-season starts for the Phillies over the past two seasons, he is 16-8 with a 4.09 ERA and the team is 26-18 (.591) in those games. He pitched at least 6.0 innings in 29 of those 44 starts.
The Phillies have two arbitration-eligible players remaining: catcher Carlos Ruiz and centerfielder Shane Victorino.
From earlier:
Breaking news from South Philly. . .
The Phillies have agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with veteran righthander Joe Blanton, avoiding arbitration and keeping him in the fold through 2012.
The move could usher in a unique era of rotation stability, as the top four members of the rotation -- Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ and Blanton -- are now all under club control through at least the 2012 season.
Blanton had requested $10.25 million in arbitration, while the Phillies had offered $7.5 million.
A press conference is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Nice. Now let's focus on the closer and late inning relief situation.— burholme
Cliff Lee is gone. Get over it, people.— socalphillyguy- do you guys have cliff lee posters all over your bedrooms?— bobbyd24
Comment removed.- Now that they made another good move by locking up Blanton, it is time to Dial Pedro and Mr. Park. That would create a competition between Moyer, Kendrick, Pedro, and Mr. Park with the losers headed to the Pen. Why take a chance on the unknown? Pedro and Mr. Park would have to discounts and bank the incentives in order to compete for the last starting position. It is time now to lock up Victorino, Ruiz and Werth. With these 3 players in the fold, the future spending and trading becomes clearer. I still think that that Victorino or Werth will be traded if Brown or Mayberry JR or Gose develop Quickly. They can not afford to have great talent waste away in the Minors like Utley and Howard did.— jpelle36
- PHILLIE FANS WILL SEE THAT DOC IS EVERYTHING LEE WAS AND WILL NEVER BE A HALL OF FAMER,TRADING LEE WAS A BAD DESCION BUT SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO MAKE BAD DESCIONS TO MAINTAIN A PLAYER FLOW,LIKE AMARO HAD TO DO BECAUSE OF POOR FINACIAL DESCIONS BY GILLICK,THIS TEAM IS LOADED AND ONLY NEEDS A SMOLTZ,VASQUEZ TYPE OF PITCHER TO FILL OUT THE PEN..— soliteryman
- Knows cost certainty has played a role in these decisions. We have our top 4 of the rotation locked up for the next few years and can start planning for the inevitable departure of some of our core guys in the next year or two.— The Reddgie
- Very good signing. Blanton's never going to Cooperstown but he's a very solid, steady innings-eater who gives the Phils a good chance to win almost every game he starts. He's the kind of guy every rotation needs. Hopefully, they can come up with a decent #5 who's not a BP pitcher. I can't take anymore of Moyer or Kendrick.— Bud Dry
- Comment removed.
- ARE YOU FRAKIN' KIDDING ME????? engineeringagr8tdrive, what drug are you on? There isn't anything compares to a WS ring! Times have changed, we don't have to settle for "just good" The Phils are getting all the support and $$ they need to hunt for the top. How high up in people's memories is the '83 team?? How good were the Phils the year after in '84? Or the year before in '82. NO ONE remembers good teams; just great ones who one it all. Give me a break!— Clem
- I like it! It gives the Phillies a reliable starter and winner at a bargain price for the next 3 years. With Halladay under market and Blanton under market that gives the Phils some flexibility to extend current stars or make a run at Lee this winter.— jtj06
- Nice blabbering.— PSU :)
"why would they go for extra years and similar dollars for Blanton and not Lee?" Here is what it boils down to: they couldn't afford all of them on the roster for this year. Lee was NOT going to sign an extension for what the Phils just paid Blanton. Of course Joe Blanton is no Cliff Lee. But had they kept Lee they could not have kept Blanton this year. And then at the end of the year Lee would have walked, the compensation they would have received would not equal the prospects they received from Seattle for Lee, and then their rotation would have been that much more depleted. Would I like to still have Cliff Lee? Of course? But the Phillies don't have the budget of the Yankees, and I love all these people spending other people's money and just assume because the Phils sold a record number of tickets last year that they can now match the Yankees payroll. The Phils are I believe 4th or 5th in payroll: that is not being cheap. Until baseball institutes a salary cap, the Phillies will never be able to match the Yankees, it doesn't matter how much they sell out Citizens Park.- Comment removed.
- I don't have a problem with the Blanton extension, because Joe is a good pitcher. I do think the Phils should have investigated what they could have gotten for Blanton in a trade, however, and kept Cliff Lee. I respect the fact that Amaro doesn't want to put all his faith in one year(2010), and wants to remain a contender over a number of years. The thing is, though, eventually you are going to have to pay a lot of players though. That is just the way it goes. Hopefully, the Phils keep Gillick in the loop, and Amaro continues to learn from him, since it was Gillick who had the fortitude to make real, definite changes to the Phils. You win with pitching and defense, not with the Abreus, Lieberthals, and Travis Lees.— Toneyfan
