Joe Blanton Rumors: Phillies Willing to Eat Salary to Move Blanton

Saturday, an Alex Anthopoulos sighting at a Philadelphia Phillies spring training contest started a string of rumors depicting the Toronto Blue Jays as potential suitors for starting pitcher Joe Blanton.  Yesterday this rumor continued, as Nick Carfado of the Boston Globe reported that the Phillies have made it clear that they’re willing to eat salary in order to facilitate a Blanton trade.

In his Sunday feature, Carfado reported that the Phillies are willing to eat as much as $2 million of the $8 million owed to Blanton in 2012.  Carfado added that a Blanton trade would not only save the Phillies money, but it would allow them to move Kyle Kendrick into their fifth starter spot.

Blanton has had his name come up in trade rumors this offseason a few times.  Once, when the Phillies were being tied to free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt, it was reported that Philadelphia was trying to cut budget in order to sign the veteran right-hander.  More recently, when the New York Yankees were dangling A.J. Burnett, it was reported that the Phillies were trying to figure out a way to swap out Blanton from their rotation in favor of Burnett.

Philly fans haven’t seemed overly enamored by Kendrick, but the club did sign him to a $7.5 million extension this offseason that will keep him with the club through 2013.  If the Phillies can trade Blanton, they could save a few bucks and see if Kendrick can finally put it together pitching every fifth day.

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