MINNEAPOLIS – If the overnight Cole Hamels and Carlos Gomez intrigue wasn’t enough for you, I present: Joe Blanton.
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In order to make room for Blanton on the 25-man roster, the Pirates designated right-hander Vance Worley for assignment before Thursday’s game against the Reds. He has posted a respectable 3.78 ERA over 69 innings this season, so he could garner a look on the waiver wire. He was 2-2 with a 3.89 ERA and two saves in 15 games (four starts) for the Royals, and the righty holds a career 87-91 record and 4.50 ERA in 280 games (252 starts) over 11 seasons with five teams.
After missing all of 2014, Blanton signed with the Royals and has posted his best numbers in almost a decade. He has since played for the A’s, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels in addition to the Royals. He has 40 strikeouts on the season and has walked seven hitters.
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In a move that received far less scrutiny and press than others that went down on Wednesday night – and even some that didn’t – the Pirates made a move to bolster their pitching ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. Based on his rotation issues this season and in the past, it’s more likely that they will use Blanton strictly out of the bullpen, unless one of their starters gets injured.
