Joe Blanton, the 31-year-old Phillies righthander, has been acquired by the Dodgers for a player to be named later.
Averaging 6 2/3 innings per start in 2012, Blanton has a 4.59 ERA (88 ERA+) with 7.8 strikeouts and a National League-best 1.2 walks per nine innings. He has allowed 9.5 hits per nine innings and a career-worst 1.5 home runs per nine innings. He was limited to 41 1/3 innings in 2011.
Blanton’s becomes a free agent at the end of this season — his 2012 salary is $8.5 million.
At least until Ted Lilly returns from the disabled list, Blanton will replace Stephen Fife, whose 2.16 ERA belies his 1.500 WHIP and 3.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Update: Ben Duorino of Fangraphs (via Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness) on Blanton’s weird 2012 season.
Anonymous
Why do we even need another starting pitcher…much less Blanton. The pitching has been FINE, the offense just needs to click.
Anonymous
As the saying goes , you can never have too much pitching.
How is Mr. Pfund’s curveball these days?
Anonymous
The saying is wrong. Even in these days of 12-13-man staffs, there’s a limit. So the question is whether the guy you’re adding is better than the one you’re replacing, both on the 25-man roster, and on the 40-man, where the bumpee might not be a pitcher.
Anonymous
Harang and Capuano have been slumping a bit, and a healthy Lilly is badly missed. Blanton is no game-changer, but a definite upgrade on Fife.
Jon Weisman
Because Stephen Fife is a timebomb, Ted Lilly hasn’t proven he will be ready to deliver, and the Dodgers are one tired arm away from a rotation crisis.
Anonymous
Fife deserves credit for pitching well in two of his three starts, but Blanton is clearly an upgrade even if he’s not Cliff Lee (who I expect would have been revoked if the Dodgers had put in a claim).
Anonymous
While I’m not a big Blanton fan, I think this is a solid acquisition.
Jon Weisman
That’s how I feel.
Anonymous
As always, it depends on the cost. I’ll wait and see who the PTBNL is. If it’s organization fodder, and this is just about salary, then in this brave new world, I totally agree that this is an upgrade. And that probably means that it must be an upgrade for 2012, no matter the cost. But if they gave away one of the crown jewels…
Gustavo Mungaray
something tells me Blanton will do better in Los Angeles than in that band box of the Phillies. Curious to see his splits
Scotty Ray
Peripherals are better than splits. 7.79 K/9 and 1.12 BB/9 for a 6.39 BB/K ratio. That is outstanding. He gives up a lot of HR but his HR/FB rate is historically high which indicates bad luck and I’m guessing could be blamed on CBP.
Blanton is a very good pitcher that we just got for a warm body.
Scotty Ray
Blanton’s xFIP the past two years has been 3.15 and 3.39. Kershaw’s a 3.36 this year, for comparison’s sake.
Love this.
Snake Smith
xFIP? What’s that? Blanton has spent a bunch of time on the DL the past 2 years, not sure what the sample sizes are.
Scotty Ray
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/statpages/glossary/#xfip
Expected Fielding Independent Pitching. This is an experimental stat that adjusts FIP and “normalizes” the home run component. Research has shown that home runs allowed are pretty much a function of flyballs allowed and home park, so xFIP is based on the average number of home runs allowed per outfield fly. Theoretically, this should be a better predicter of a pitcher’s future ERA.
Anonymous
I think Blanton, Scutaro, Kotsay, M Ellis and Haren are all A’s ’05 alums that came back to CA after playing out of state.
Gobias Bluth
I think Mark Ellis is in that mix too, right?
Anonymous
Yeah, fixed that with an edit.
Bobby Crosby is the only real bust from that era. We all thought Chavy was done, but now he’s playing for evil with Swish, of course.
Gobias Bluth
Hiram Bocachica was on that team too… Could not get enough of that name when he was a Dodger. I don’t know why but it always made me laugh.
Dr. Rockso
I like it about as much as FP Santangelo, fave dodger name ever.
Anonymous
Bobby Crosby never really had much to bust from.
Gobias Bluth
I would rather have Blanton out there every five days than Fife or the Harrangatang. I see this move as an upgrade of sorts.
Anonymous
Harangutang! Why haven’t I ever heard that? So good.
Gobias Bluth
Yeah I LOVE that nickname too. Got a friend in Cincy who says they’ve been calling him that for years.
Anonymous
Certain pitchers really seem to benefit from joining the Dodgers but I haven’t figured out how to predict which ones
Gustavo Mungaray
Wonder if they can pick up Jimmy Rollins off of waivers. But I dont see him getting that far down the waiver line.
Anonymous
The dreaded player to be named later! Does that mean the player hasn’t been selected yet but part of a pool of candidates?
Anonymous
Is it too much to ask that the P2BNL has a five-letter surname that starts with “U” and ends with “e?”
Jon Weisman
Figures to be a low-level minor leaguer or cash.
Anonymous
I expected that, but we can always hope.
Anonymous
I hope so, but I’m sure I’ve seen this used before to diffuse outrage in the fan base. I also think this is rare, and it is probably OK.
Scotty Ray
He also has the highest K/BB ratio in the NL.
Giddy.
Anonymous
Is Tony Jackson on vacation? Haven’t seen anything from him in awhile.
Jon Weisman
Tony and ESPNLA have parted ways.
Anonymous
That is unfortunate. I always felt Tony was a solid reporter.
David Farinella
Any idea where he went? I have been wondering that as well.
Jon Weisman
Pursuing other opportunities.
David Farinella
Gotcha.
Anonymous
Is that like building his personal brand?
Anonymous
This deal makes me feel like my sister kissed me.
David Farinella
Oh. Um, what?
Anonymous
So I guess this can be referred to as a “Deliverance” trade.
KT
^_^
Anonymous
Welcome to Colletti baseball. Never get the best, always get by. Blanton is a pitcher but that’s it.
Anonymous
Feel alot better about him as #3 starter in a playoff series than Capuano or Harang.
Anonymous
That is exactly what I was going to ask: who gets the ball in game 3: Cap, Harang, Lilly, or Blanton? Bypass Capuano wow!
Anonymous
You are assuming Lilly will be healthy and effective. Big assumptions. Harang is a 5. Cap has been great this year, but reverting to normal lately. I’ll take a strikeout pitcher over the crafty lefty in that spot
Jon Weisman
Tonight:
Victorino LF
Ellis 2B
Kemp CF
Ethier RF
Ramirez SS
Loney 1B
Cruz 3B
Ellis C
Billingsley P
Jon Weisman
Tonight’s positioning truly makes me wonder why Uribe was kept over Abreu.
Anonymous
Just another part of Colletti baseball.
Anonymous
Or Donnie baseball. Why put guys at positions they haven’t played all year? Why is he so hellbent on playing Hanley at SS?
jasonu
Maybe because God knows if Dee can play again this year no matter what the “reports” are. Until he does, he isn’t type thing. Maybe they are worried Cruz returns to his earth soon so they have to see if Hanley can really play the spot at least the rest of the year?? I say be happy they aren’t trying Uribe there yet.
Anonymous
Because that is Hanley’s natural position and he was only moved to 3rd to accomedate Reyes. I think Hanley is here for the duration.
Anonymous
As an offensive lineup, I think it is beginning to look decent! But only if Loney gets hot and Victorino actually starts getting on base.
Anonymous
I guess I don’t have to repeat my opinion, but at least Cruz is still in the lineup. Could the Dodgers, in theory, reinstate Abreu?
Jon Weisman
In theory, he could clear waivers, the Dodgers could re-sign him and then make a corresponding move.
Anonymous
I think batting Loney ahead of Cruz and Ellis is :(
Anonymous
According to MLBTR, Cliff Lee has been claimed, but no suggestion as to by whom. Not the Snakes, hopefully.
Jon Weisman
Jon Paul Morosi reporting that it’s the Dodgers who put in the Lee claim.
Anonymous
I expect actually getting him is a longshot.
Dane Pereslete
Maybe not. Morosi says no other NL team with a worse record than the Dodgers filed a claim…
Anonymous
The problem is getting the Fillies to agree to a deal. I expect they’ll turn down any deal and keep Lee.
foul tip
How do Blanton and Dempster compare?
Linkmeister
The other thing is, we don’t know that Lilly is going to be effective when he comes back. I like this move a lot.
Casey Barker
This move makes even more sense now that we know Lilly had a setback.
Linkmeister
I swear I didn’t know that when I made my comment! ;)
Jon Weisman
Dempster clearly better this year and in general, but last year Dempster had a 4.80 ERA.
Anonymous
It would make sense to work Lilly back through long relief.
Anonymous
For some reason, my first reaction to your comment was “what? a left-handed long-relief guy?” Obviously there’s no reason such a role couldn’t go to a southpaw, but I can’t think of too many examples. Maybe Terry Mulholland for a while, Omar Daal? I guess usually those guys are failed starters, and lefties are more apt to become LOOGY’s (i.e., hugely overspecialized wastes of roster space).
Still, not sure long relief would ease a pitcher back into the rotation, since the need for long relievers is so unpredictable and sporadic. What they could do is share the 5th starter spot between Lilly and Fife or Wright or Harang – plan for each guy to pitch 4 innings. Indeed, I think team should consider do that on a regular basis with that last rotation spot. It would give the rest of the bullpen some regular rest as well.
Gobias Bluth
Wilson Alvarez was the man for us for a few years pitching out of that role.
Anonymous
Yup. Good call. Still, it does seem unusual.
Anonymous
Alvarez was extremely versatile.
Anonymous
Kent Mercker? Mike Stanton? Were they considered long relief?
Anonymous
Dodgers claimed Lee
Jon Weisman
As noted above in comments.
Anonymous
I searched briefly but didn’t spot the info; I was in a big hurry.
Jon Weisman
NPUT