CBRACKE
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I am not a fan of Joe Blanton, but if I was a fan of the Oakland team he has now vacated, I would credit Joe with leaving behind a decent haul of prospects for a pitcher with a mediocre line of season stats.
I remember when I wrote an analysis of the Blue Jays signing of pitcher A.J. Burnett back in December of 2005. The big discussion point at the time was how a team could pay up to $55 million for a hurler who at the time was right around .500 (49-50). It seems fitting to revisit such an argument given the price the Phillies paid for Blanton who is coincidentally, a mere 47-46 in his four-plus year career.
RHP Joe Blanton, Phillies (Inside the Numbers)
| Month | G | IP | W-L | SV | ERA | WHIP | K | H% | S% | BB/9 | K/9 | K/BB | HR/9 |
| March | 1 | 5.2 | 0-0 | 0 | 4.76 | 1.41 | 3 | 35 | 63 | 1.6 | 4.8 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 6 | 43 | 2-4 | 0 | 3.98 | 1.37 | 18 | 32 | 71 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| May | 6 | 37.2 | 1-3 | 0 | 4.54 | 1.38 | 20 | 29 | 70 | 2.9 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| June | 5 | 27.2 | 1-4 | 0 | 7.16 | 1.59 | 14 | 30 | 55 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| July | 2 | 13 | 1-1 | 0 | 4.85 | 1.31 | 7 | 34 | 59 | 1.4 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 0.0 |
The biggest difference for me between pitchers like Burnett (who despite being a lifelong Jays fan, I detest) and those like Blanton is the strikeouts. Without those whiffs, a pitcher with this skill set is just an average pitcher. His BB/9IP in March, April, and July are certainly positive signs, but his WHIP is testament to the fact he’s not missing bats.
Another major concern is how much different the ballpark he’s left is from the one he’s going to. No ballpark in the majors (with the possible exception of how well left-handed hitters fare in U.S. Cellular Field) is more favorable to hitters, particularly in the home run department. Now consider that Blanton has allowed nine or more fly-ball outs in eight (double digit totals on five occasions) of his 20 starts this season and he is clearly prone to the long ball.
The bottom line is fantasy owners shouldn’t break the bank or even necessarily bid on Blanton in their fantasy leagues. I won’t be bidding. I am going to cover a more in depth look at the top prospect they got back in the deal tomorrow, that being second baseman Adrian Cardenas. Until then, I’m off to a late night showing of The Dark Knight
Photo courtesy of Scout.com
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