Phillies sign Blanco
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Phillies sign Blanco
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies and Nationals are trading castoffs all of a sudden.
Andres Blanco, a 27-year-old utility infielder, signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies on Saturday, two days after he was released by Washington.
Blanco will report to minor-league camp later Saturday, but he stands a chance to play in Philadelphia this season. In 32 Grapefruit League at-bats with the Nationals, Blanco had two hits and scored three runs.
Upon his release earlier in the week, Washington manager Davey Johnson remarked the Phillies would have interest in Blanco.
The Phillies are scouring the market for any bench upgrades, but it appears Pete Orr (a former National) could enter the season as the utility infielder. Michael Martinez, plucked from the Washington organization last winter in the Rule 5 draft, has a broken foot and will miss at least the first month of the season.
San Francisco released Mike Fontenot on Friday, but he is still owed approximately $700,000 from his $1.05 million deal. The Phillies, according to a baseball source, had talks with Cincinnati about Paul Janish, who is making $850,000 in 2012.
But the team is at or beyond the luxury tax threshold of $178 million, and could decide the utility infield job is best filled cheaply. If they're going to go over the limit, it could be for more important costs.
Blanco, a native Venezuelan, is a career .255 hitter in 235 major-league games over six seasons. He hit .224/.263/.342 for Texas in 82 at-bats last season while playing shortstop, third base, second base and right field. He's known as a slick fielder.
Former Phillies Jayson Werth and Brad Lidge will make the Nationals. Chad Durbin, a nonroster player, has a chance to be in the bullpen. Washington also cut Jason Michaels earlier in the week.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
If Amaro knew Martinez was going to break a bone in his foot he probably would not have traded Valdez and would have been as smart as some of the people commenting here who obviously knew about Martinez's injury before it happened.— RichG- oakmontleo:you can't be more wrong, especially with the history of infield injuries that the Phillies have had in recent years..Valdez was more than a steady freddy in the field...RAJ himself admits it was a mistake...Next best bet would have been Josh Barfield, but he also is out of the organization. He was a much better player than MM as well, and got hosed last year.— bearsfriend
- I also like Barfield. He signed with the Orioles 5 days before MM got hurt. He's probably a little less versatile than Valdez but he had a few good years in the majors where he showed he could hit (2006-2007). — s
- I think people's beef with trading Valdez is that he was their best utility infielder on a team with oft injured infielders. I don't think it's wrong to second guess that move. Even Amaro admitted it was a dumb move.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- If I knew anything about Blanco, anything at all, I would comment about him.— PhightinPhil
- Amaro signed a latin/hispanic player? Shocker.— scootch
- Appropriate signing of Blanco, since the Phillies offense figures to get blanked often this season.— dasher
- He's got Bowker-esque type numbers. I like it!— Penfold18
- We certainly do not need hitters when we can pick up cheap slick fielding defensive players.— tulsaphil
- Amaro cna't an no GM can plan for injuries. Yes, they happen and yes they thought they Chase for the full year and they thought they had someone (MM) to take care of it should the need arise. Youcan't have 14 infielder's on call in case everyone gets hurt. Sometimes you're just screwed, but few ever see it coming. Blanco is just another MM but with a slightly better bat, and I mean slight.— Mark1npt
- Chris "Wheels" Wheeler says this guy can "really, really field" and "is a great guy in the clubhouse."— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- If anyone saw that game with NY yesterday...the pitching was terrible!
It was Qualls, Papelbon, Kendrick and then minor leaguers. It was a joke.Couldn't find home-plate. If that was a measure of our BP, then
it means we are in trouble. Nuf said..— Lynnwood - Not sure when Valdez became the second coming of Rogers Hornsby. Regardless of who they plug into 2b it won't be that much of a drop off compared to Valdez.— Patriot72
- Valdez stinks.— mwcnabb
- i would write something pithy here but the gestapo who censures my posts probably thinkth pithy ith naughty and hith mom would be offended.— bubba church & granny hamner
