Phillies acquire Blanton
The Phillies got help for their starting rotation, acquiring righthander Joe Blanton from Oakland.
Phillies acquire Blanton
Josh Barnett
The Phillies got help for their starting rotation, acquiring righthander Joe Blanton from Oakland for three minor leaguers -- infielder Adrian Cardenas, lefthander Josh Outman and outfielder Matt Spencer. Cardenas was the No. 2 prospect in the Phillies' system, according to Baseball America, and Outman was ranked No. 4.
Blanton, 27, once considered one of the A’s top young prospects, but has had a disappointing season thus far. He is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA and has lost six of his last eight starts. He has a 3.87 ERA in 17 of his 20 starts and is tied for sixth in the American League in innings (127), having gone at least six innings in 16 starts. Blanton has the seventh-lowest run support average in the AL.
In his four-year career, Blanton is 47-46 with a 4.25 ERA.
One of his victories this season came against the Phillies on June 24. Blanton’s only mistake in seven innings was a Pat Burrell home run in the A’s 5-2 victory.
"It's one of those deals where it's very bittersweet," Blanton told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm going to a very good team with a very good lineup. They're in the division hunt and they're out to win a championship, and that's what any player wants. But I've always been with the A's, and I have great relationships there. It's one of those double-sided coins."
Like Brett Myers did for the Phillies, Blanton was Oakland’s Opening Day starter. He gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings in a loss to Boston in Japan.
“We’ve been attempting to upgrade our rotation and we feel like we’ve done that,” Phillies assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said in a statement. “We think Joe is a very strong, competitive pitcher that has the mental makeup to pitch productively in a pennant race. He pitches a lot of innings and takes some burden off the bullpen.”
Outman, 23, was 5-4 with one save and a 3.20 ERA in 33 games (5 starts) for Double A Reading.
Cardenas, 20, was hitting .309 in 67 games for Single A Clearwater.
Spencer, 22, was hitting .249 with six home runs and 41 RBI in 84 games for Clearwater.
Outman is 24 and in AA. He's not a blue chip. He's probably not going to pan out to be better than Blanton if he makes it to the majors. We get to keep Carrasco, which is huge. Gillick's been terrible, but this move was as good as it gets for what he gave up. Blanton's better than Lohse and definitely better than Eaton.— comin4ya23- An Adam Eaton twin?— overtaxed
- Blanton hopefully will be this year's Kyle Lohse. Lohse's record was about the same and he was great for the Phils last year and look how great he's pitching this year. There's also the fact he's coming from the AL. AL pitchers have been great for the Phillies. Durbin or Romero anyone?— kellester
- Good trade. Quality upgrade from mediocre Eaton to a Lohse type addition. Check out Happ's performance last night with 'pigs. Move him into #5 slot and drop off the appropriately named BM in the Everglades.— mick314
- Listen let's stay focused here for a minute. Blanton is a definite upgrade over Eaton no question. Now's he definitely not the A listed Charlie wanted but he's an upgrade none the less. I have to believe there's still a deal out there for another starter based on the package we gave to Oakland which really is a good deal all in all. Everyone has been asking about Lohse ok now we essentially have acquired that guy in the name of Blanton. I believe Myers will eventually be the 8th inning guy as they make a couple of more moves to get LH relief and starter.— DaFranchise
- The "better than Eaton" line reminds me of the joke where the cannibals ask the two missionaries to choose between death and "chichi". The first figures anything is better than death so she chooses chichi and all manner of unspeakable things befall her, until she finally expires. The second, witnessing all this chooses death, hoping it be quick and relatively less painful. "Then death it shall be" says the chief, "but first chichi". We're doomed!— thefanatic
- Blanton or Eaton. Take your pick. No need to overanalyze.— doorspj24
- Cardenas is a better prospect than Golson, and Outman had a good career going until the Phillies for some reason inexplicably made him a reliever. I'm fine getting Blanton, but not at the price we paid. I would have preferred to send Golson instead of Cardenas. Golson stinks.— HappyPete
- Re Blanton's lack of run support, it would require rigorous statistical research to back up, but I wonder how much of a pitcher's lack of run support is self-inflicted, by letting the other team get the lead, thereby causing the pitcher's own team to hit worse. I mean, it seems to me that the Phils have a much harder time scoring runs when they're in the hole, especially big holes early, than when they have the lead or are close.— Drago
- Oh, and about Myers becoming a setup guy, isn't he still having trouble in the minors in his first innings? If so, then the only reason to expect better in the bullpen than the rotation is if we think (with little evidence and much hope) that his pitching problems are primarily mental and his mindset would change in the pen.— Drago
- This deal was not that bad given the corner the Phillies painted themselves into. This deal was necessitated by three really bad moves previously done by Gillick. 1. Trading for an injured F. Garcia, 2. Committing $24.5 million to a pitcher like Adam Eaton, and 3. Not extending K. Lochse last season before the season ended. Now they are running around trying to fill holes that they maneuvered themselves into in the first place. I also think the Phillies went into this season with expectations for Brett Myers that were set way too high for a pennant contender and given Myers' past. Yes, he performed nicely as the closer last year, but Myers is a "head case", who constantly needs reinforcement regarding how good a pitcher he is. That's what happened last year. He had some success in the bullpen (when the Phils were desperate) and everyone kept saying what a great closer he was, and he kept feeding off of that. That is why he still wants to close. I believe he has lost his confidence as a starter. Face it, until he matures, he will never be a "horse" starter ala Schilling, and he may never fully come around. That is why the Phils must prepare for the future with Myers being counted on as no more than a 3rd starter until he proves over an entire season that he is capable of being a one or a two. Anyway, Blanton comes in as the number 2, he's 27, he's ours thru 2010. I'm inclined to give him a shot. He has to be an upgrade from Eaton, whom I personally would release today with Swindle, our new left handed "specialist" who seems to specialize in giving up runs and hits.— MUMMER
- Any thoughts on a starting rotation of Hamels, Moyer, Kendrick, Blanton, and Happ? Let Myers and Eaton and Gordon go ... anywhere but here, please? The phrase "catch lightning in a bottle," cannot happen unless you (the Phillies) let it happen.— DonEck
- Billy Preston had a hit, "nothing from nothing leaves nothing". That's what this deal is. This guy is a fly ball pitcher in a band-box. Seems to me that JA Happ just got screwed. Myers in, Eaton to the bullpen, and big Joe throwing rockets red glare and homers bursting in the So Philly air. Don't bet the ranch on this team making the playoffs.— brinkmang
