Dodgers acquire Blanton from Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired right-handed pitcher Joe Blanton from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for a player to be named later. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

Blanton was 8-9 with a 4.55 ERA for the Phillies this season, but had been strong of late, averaging 7.2 innings pitched in his last three starts and posting a 2.74 ERA (7 ER/23.0 IP) since July 16. During that stretch, he has limited opposing hitters to a .200 batting average (17-for-85), while striking out 20 and walking only two. Blanton has pitched 6.0 or more innings in each of his last 10 starts and made six quality starts in his last eight outings dating to June 14, posting a 3.55 ERA (23 ER/58.1 IP) and a .233 opponents’ average.

The right-hander currently leads the National League with a 6.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has issued just 1.22 walks per 9.0 innings, which also leads the league. When pitching 7.0 innings or more this season, Blanton is 7-1 with a 2.24 ERA (19 ER, 76.1 IP) in 10 starts.

Since 2008, Blanton has the fourth-best winning percentage among all Major League starters after the All-Star break, (.739, 17-6) and in his career, Blanton is 38-20 (.655) with a 3.83 ERA in 99 games after the break.

Blanton is 81-71 with a 4.35 ERA in 10 big league seasons with Oakland (2004-08) and Philadelphia (2008-12). The Tennessee native won a career-high 16 games with the A’s in 2006 and has made at least 30 starts in five of his seven full seasons.

In the postseason, Blanton has appeared in 10 games (six starts) for the Phillies from 2008-11, going 2-0 with a 4.02 ERA (18 ER/40.1 IP). He earned the win and hit a home run in Game 4 of the 2008 World Series, becoming the first pitcher to homer in the Fall Classic since 1974. The 6’3 Blanton also started Game 4 of the 2009 World Series and picked up a no-decision. 

Blanton was originally drafted by Oakland in the first round (24th overall) of the 2002 First-Year Draft after attending the University of Kentucky, where he led the SEC with 133 strikeouts in 2002. He and his wife, LeeAndra, live with their two daughters in Nashville.