Chad Moriyama Dodgers, Sabermetrics, Scouting
The Dodgers shored up their rotation today by acquiring Joe Blanton from the Phillies for a player to be named later.
OFFICIAL:
@dodgers today acquired starting pitcher Joe Blanton from@phillies for a player to be named later.— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 3, 2012
Blanton is owed about $2.9 million for the rest of 2012 and the Dodgers will be picking up the tab for that. Just like with the Shane Victorino trade, the PTBNL isn’t a cause for concern, as they are rarely meaningful prospects in the end.
But how about Blanton?
He should be a clear upgrade over Stephen Fife (4.65 FIP/5.20 xFIP/5.77 SIERA) and provides insurance in case Ted Lilly never quite makes it back from shoulder problems, which by his own account seems likely.
Up until 2010, Blanton had a 5.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, but over the last 174.2 innings from 2011 on, he’s posted a 7.7 K/9 and a 1.4 BB/9. As a result, while his ERA is 4.59 this year, his FIP sits at a solid 3.98, while his xFIP and SIERA are both 3.39. The move from Citizens Bank Park to Dodger Stadium may not only mean he’s a significant improvement as a #5, but may make him the third best option on a staff with a lot of solid but not great pitchers.
Surprised by the peripherals? So is … uh … everybody, but the point is that he’s a solid upgrade that will help the Dodgers and might actually end up making more of a marginal wins difference than Victorino.
Not that it means anything whatsoever, but why does Landry have to go and hit a HR, then hit for the cycle immediately after the trade? It’s cool, but kinda stings at the same time.
Have you got to see any of Magill’s games recently? Has his velocity increased, or is he striking out more with the off speed stuff? The year he is having at his age, I hope we don’t deal him away, his numbers seem pretty promising, he is doing better then Allen Webster at the same age.
Breaking ball and command, IMO.