The Los Angeles Dodgers added some much needed depth to their starting rotation on Friday with the acquisition of Joe Blanton from the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named later. He is expected to arrive in Los Angeles Saturday, though it hasn't yet been decided when he will pitch.
Blanton started on July 28 and was scheduled to start for the Phillies on Friday night. Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers on Saturday, then manager Don Mattingly has the option to shuffle his rotation based on upcoming matchups. Blanton will take Stephen Fife's spot in the rotation, which was scheduled to come up Tuesday. But Aaron Harang and/or Chris Capuano could be pushed back a day to fit Blanton in on Sunday or Monday.
Either way, the Dodgers will likely option Fife on Saturday to add another reliever to the bullpen, at least until the day Blanton is slated to make his Dodgers debut.
"He brings a strike thrower for sure," said Mattingly. "He's been in Philadelphia, a tough city. He's pitched in the World Series."
General manager Ned Colletti said he had talks with the Phillies about Blanton on Monday, a day before the non-waiver trade deadline. But he couldn't work out a package deal with Shane Victorino, whom the Dodgers acquired on Tuesday.
"It got a little complicated, so we decided to to stay with the original plan to acquire Shane, then we'll see what transpires," Colletti said.
What transpired was the Dodgers upgrading their starting rotation.
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