LA Times: Joe Blanton is no lock for Angels rotation

[AngelsWin.com]

The right-hander, who hopes to bounce back from a dismal 2013 season, can help add depth to the Angels pitching staff after Mark Mulder sustained an Achilles' tendon injury.<br/><br/>TEMPE, Ariz. — His $8.5-million contract guarantees him nothing beyond a pile of money. His spring-training locker is among the five corner cubicles reserved for established starting pitchers, but he is as much of a rotation lock as the reporters milling around it.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/latimes/sports/baseball/mlb/angels/~4/Hl6rBW72Tvw" height="1" width="1"/>

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[fan_since79]

"Depth" is the new word of the day. Everywhere I turn, there it is.

 

Too bad we don't have any.

[jshep]

These Blanton articles are getting progressively more depressing by the day.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

Paris Hilton is deeper than the Angels starting rotation.

[FabulousFabregas]

[fan_since79]

If we get the 2001-2010 Pujols, the 2010 Hamilton, the 2011-2012 Freese, and a thousand other things go right for the offense, who needs pitching?!

 

Short of that, we've got trouble.

 

 

[jsnpritchett]

And by "no lock," they mean he's starting in week one, obviously.

[Docwaukee]

Joe blanton is now our #3 starter.

[Taylor]

Blanton is the new Mathis.

 

What would happen if Blanton pitched to Mathis?

[jshep]

Blanton is the new Mathis.

 

What would happen if Blanton pitched to Mathis?

The world would be flooded by a tsunami of tears.

[nikkachez]

Even if Blanton doesn't make the rotation, he'd be stashed in the bullpen. The Halos need to sign two guys in my opinion to make up the depth left behind, what are Capuano, Saunders, and Richard doing these days?

[Ohtaniland]

The #5 spot spring training invites have arrived in Tempe.

 

 

[Sherlock31]

Even if Blanton doesn't make the rotation, he'd be stashed in the bullpen. The Halos need to sign two guys in my opinion to make up the depth left behind, what are Capuano, Saunders, and Richard doing these days?

 

Since Dipoto is running on a very tight budget, my guess is nothing going to happen before the end of the ST, after that Dipoto is going to sign a few rejects from other teams to a minor league deal or trade one of the 2b for a AAA starter for depth.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Blanton is the new Mathis.

 

What would happen if Blanton pitched to Mathis?

 

All the hits would come in the wrong half of the inning.

[Brent Maguire]

It's going to be a loooooong season if Blanton is getting starts in April.

[Angelsjunky]

I didn't realize Sherlock worked for the LA Times.

[disarcina]

watch Blanton have a good Spring (didn't he do well last year in March?) and then return to the type of starts we saw last year (didn't he lose something like 10 in a row, each one being less than a quality start? -- a quality start for Blanton is giving up only 5 runs over the first three innings).

 

so watch him have a decent Spring --  this will result in some write ups about how he's 'back' and 'feeling good, throwing well' etc. and then the season starts and the clock strikes midnight........

[YouthofToday]

Blanton certainly has "depth".

Edited February 18, 2014 by YouthofToday

[HaloFan85]

watch Blanton have a good Spring (didn't he do well last year in March?) and then return to the type of starts we saw last year (didn't he lose something like 10 in a row, each one being less than a quality start? -- a quality start for Blanton is giving up only 5 runs over the first three innings).

 

so watch him have a decent Spring --  this will result in some write ups about how he's 'back' and 'feeling good, throwing well' etc. and then the season starts and the clock strikes midnight........

Blanton's 2013 Spring: 2.37 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 19 IP, 13 K, 0 BB, 1 HR

 

If he puts up numbers like that again this spring, he'll definitely be the #5.

[Redondo]

Blanton's 2013 Spring: 2.37 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 19 IP, 13 K, 0 BB, 1 HR

 

If he puts up numbers like that again this spring, he'll definitely be the #5.

 

If he does that again then the Angels need to trade him as fast as they can.

[jshep]

If he does that again then the Angels need to trade him as fast as they can.

 

I've given up that dream.

 

The Angels don't have the depth behind him to give them the luxury of dumping Blanton, no matter how badly we want them too.

[HALOS23]

The #5 spot spring training invites have arrived in Tempe.

 

 

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SUMMER??!! ARE YOU READY FOR THE GOOD TIMES???!!

[Ohtaniland]

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SUMMER??!! ARE YOU READY FOR THE GOOD TIMES???!!

Yes I am. I actually believe that this team will be much better than last years team.

[Angel Oracle]

Can Hardware still pitch?    He's only about 53.

[tdawg87]

I'm going to get laughed at for posting this but I think we are all underselling Joe Blanton. Don't get me wrong. He sucks and I don't want him to be in the rotation this year. However, he has proven himself in the past to be an average to slightly below average starter (much better than he was last year). He has a history of durability and has even stated himself that last year was by far the worst year of his career. We all know it, and the fact that he knows it too is a good sign. Having Joe Blanton in the rotation full time would be awful, but as the 6th starter? Again, I don't want him getting starts on a regular basis but I also don't think there is any way he comes close to being as horrible as he was in 2013. I could see him coming in, making 10 or so starts, and putting up an ERA somewhere around 4.75-5.00. That's about what you'd expect from a swingman.

 

I still want the Angels to sign another starter though.