Joe Blanton

With the signing of Cliff Lee, the Phillies payroll jumped up to unfamiliar territory, at a staggering $160 million. With Joe Blanton owed $8.5 million, he has overnight become a very valuable trade commodity. After Zach Greinke was traded to the Brewers earlier, the two most attractive pitchers remaining are free agent Carl Pavano, and Blanton. Some teams interested in Pavano might also want to call the Phillies about Blanton for a couple of reasons. First is the predetermined amount of money. Blanton could be a cheap two years for a #3 starter. Pavano, on the other hand, could bring in $12 million easy on the open market, especially now that there is very little market left. Second, there are many teams desperate for pitching. Take the Cliff Lee signing. The Yankees and Rangers had all their chips in to the Lee sweepstakes, and all came out empty handed. Now, with Joe Blanton on the market, both teams will only have to pay $8.5 million a year instead of the $15 million they would have been paying Lee. All the Phillies would probably ask in return would be some cash, a minor leaguer or two, or possibly just an MLB level right-handed hitting OF to replace Jayson Werth. Maybe the Phillies and Yankees can set up a Joe Blanton for Nick Swisher deal, which would be pretty attractive with Swisher being a swtich hitter and being able to play all three outfield positions and first base. Swisher's switch hitting is very attractive in a left handed-dominated lineup, and he would fit nicely in the number 5 spot vacated by Jayson Werth/

Offseason moves up to 12/30:
Atlanta
-Exercised club option on SS Alex Gonzalez
-Resigned OF Eric Hinske to a 1 year contract
-Traded for RHP Scott Linebrink from the Chicago White Sox
-Signed LHP George Sherill to a 1 year contract
-Traded for 2B Dan Uggla from the Florida Marlins


Arizona
-Signed C Henry Blanco to a 1 year contract
-Signed IF Geoff Blum to a 2 year deal
-Traded for LHP Zach Duke from the Pittsburgh Pirates
-Traded for RHP David Hernandez from the Baltimore Orioles
-Signed IF Melvin Mora to a 1 year contract
-Signed OF Xavier Nady to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP JJ Putz to a 2 year contract

Baltimore Orioles
-Signed RHP Jeremy Accardo to a 1 year contract
-Traded for SS JJ Hardy from the Minnesota Twins
-Traded for 3B Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks
-Resigned RHP Koji Uehara to a 1 year contract

Boston Red Sox
-Signed RHP Matt Albers to a 1 year contract
-Signed OF Carl Crawford to a 7 year contract
-Traded for 1B Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres
-Signed RHP Bobby Jenks to a 2 year contract
-Traded for LHP Andrew Miller from the Florida Marlins
-Exercised club option on DH David Ortiz
-Resigned C Jason Varitek to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP Dan Wheeler to a 1 year contract

Chicago Cubs
-Signed 1B Carlos Pena to 1 year contract
-Player option exercised by 3B Aramis Ramirez
-Signed RHP Kerry Wood to 1 year contract

Chicago White Sox
-Exercised club option on C Ramon Castro
-Signed RHP Jesse Crain to a 3 year contract
-Signed 1B/DH Adam Dunn to a 4 year contract
-Resigned 1B Paul Konerko to a 3 year contract
-Resigned C AJ Perzynski to a 2 year contract
-Exercised club option on LHP Matt Thornton
-Resigned SS Omar Vizquel to a 1 year contract

Cincinnati Reds
-Exercised club option on RHP Bronson Arroyo
-Resigned IF Miguel Cairo to a 2 year contract
-Exercised club option on OF Jonny Gomes
-Resigned C Ramon Hernandez to a 1 year contract

Cleveland Indians
-Signed OF Austin Kearns to a 1 year contract

Colorado Rockies
-Resigned LHP Jorge de la Rosa to a 2 year contract
-Traded for 3B Jose Lopez from the Seattle Mariners
-Signed IF Ty Wigginton to a 2 year contract

Detroit Tigers
-Signed RHP Joaquin Benoit to a 3 year contract
-Resigned 3B Brandon Inge to a 2 year contract
-Signed C Victor Martinez to a 4 year contract
-Resigned OF Magglio Ordonez to a 1 year contract
-Resigned SS Jhonny Peralta to a 2 year contract

Florida Marlins
-Signed C John Buck to a 3 year contract
-Signed RHP Randy Choate to a 2 year contract
-Traded for LHP Michael Dunn from the Atlanta Braves
-Traded for 2B Omar Infante from the Atlanta Braves
-Traded for RHP Edward Mujica from the San Diego Padres
-Traded for LHP Dustin Richardson from the Boston Red Sox
-Signed RHP Javier Vazquez to a 1 year contract
-Traded for RHP Ryan Webb from the San Diego Padres

Houston Astros
-Signed OF Bill Hall to a 1 year contract
-Signed LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith to a 1 year contract

Kansas City Royals
-Signed OF Melky Cabrera to a 1 year contract
-Signed OF Jeff Francoeur to a 1 year contract
-Traded for RHP Vin Mazzaro from the Oakland Athletics

Los Angeles Angels
-Signed LHP Scott Downs to a 4 year contract
-Signed LHP Hisanori Takahashi to a 2 year contract

Los Angeles Dodgers
-Resigned C Rod Barajas to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP Jon Garland to a 1 year contract
-Resigned OF Jay Gibbons to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP Matt Guerrier to a 3 year contract
-Signed OF Tony Gwynn to a 1 year contract
-Resigned RHP Hiroki Kuroda to a 1 year contract
-Signed C Dioner Navarro to a 1 year contract
-Resigned RHP Vicente Padilla to a 1 year contract
-Signed 2B Juan Uribe to a 3 year contract

Milwaukee Brewers
-Traded for SS Yuniesky Betancourt from the Kansas City Royals
-Signed OF Brandon Boggs to a 1 year contract
-Resigned SS Craig Counsell to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP Sean Green to a 1 year contract
-Traded for RHP Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals
-Traded for RHP Shaun Marcum from the Toronto Blue Jays
-Signed C Wil Nieves to a 1 year contract

Minnesota Twins
-Exercised club option on OF Jason Kubel

New York Mets
-Signed RHP DJ Carrasco to a 2 year contract
-Signed C Ronny Paulino to a 1 year contract
-Exercised club option on SS Jose Reyes

New York Yankees
-Resigned SS Derek Jeter to a 3 year contract
-Signed C Russell Martin to a 1 year contract
-Resigned RHP Mariano Rivera to a 2 year contract

Oakland Athletics
-Exercised club option on OF Coco Crisp
-Traded for OF David DeJesus from the Kansas City Royals
-Exercised club option on 2B Mark Ellis
-Signed RHP Rich Harden to a 1 year contract
-Signed DH Hideki Matsui to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP Brandon McCarthy to a 1 year contract
-Traded for OF Josh Willingham from the Washington Nationals

Philadelphia Phillies
-Resigned RHP Jose Contreras to a 2 year contract
-Signed LHP Cliff Lee to a 5 year contract

Pittsburgh Pirates
-Signed RHP Kevin Correia to a 2 year contract
-Signed OF Matt Diaz to a 2 year contract
-Signed LHP Scott Olsen to a 1 year contract
-Signed 1B Lyle Overbay to a 1 year contract

San Diego Padres
-Traded for SS Jason Bartlett from the Tampa Bay Rays
-Signed RHP Aaron Harang to a 1 year contract
-Signed 2B Orlando Hudson to a 2 year contract
-Traded for OF Cameron Maybin from the Florida Marlins
-Signed RHP Dustin Moseley to a 1 year contract
-Traded for OF Eric Patterson from the Boston Red Sox

San Francisco Giants
-Resigned OF Pat Burrell to a 1 year contract
-Resigned 1B Aubrey Huff to a 2 year contract
-Signed SS Miguel Tejada to a 1 year contract

Seattle Mariners
-Resigned LHP Erik Bedard to a 1 year contract
-Signed DH Jack Cust to a 1 year contract

St. Louis Cardinals
-Signed OF Lance Berkman to a 1 year contract
-Signed C Gerald Laird to a 1 year contract
-Signed LHP Brian Tallet to a 1 year contract
-Resigned RHP Jake Westbrook to a 2 year contract

Tampa Bay Rays
-Resigned LHP JP Howell to a 1 year contract

Texas Rangers
-RHP Frank Francisco accepted arbitration
-Signed C Yorvit Torrealba to a 2 year contract
-Resigned C Matt Treanor to a 1 year contract
-Signed RHP Brandon Webb to a 1 year contract

Toronto Blue Jays
-Signed 3B Edwin Encarnacion to a 1 year contract
-RHP Jason Frasor accepted arbitration
-Exercised club option on C Jose Molina

Washington Nationals
-Signed OF Rick Ankiel to a 1 year contract
-Signed OF Jayson Werth to a 7 year contract