Phils looking to send Blanton to Baltimore
With the clock ticking toward Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, the
Phillies remain active on a number of
fronts.
“They’re going to unload,” a person with
knowledge of the Phillies’ deadline plan said Monday afternoon.
Well,
at least they’re trying to unload.
Here’s what we
know as of late Monday night:
• The Phils are working
on a deal that would send pitcher Joe Blanton to Baltimore. A report on
MASNsports.com said the Orioles were reviewing Blanton’s medical
records, which is a prerequisite for most deals. A Phillies source
confirmed that Baltimore was the team of focus on Blanton. The Orioles
are looking for a pitcher and scouted Blanton’s last start in
Atlanta.
The Phillies reportedly have shown interest
in 19-year-old infield prospect Jonathan Schoop, rated as the Orioles’
No. 3 prospect by Baseball America. It’s difficult to imagine the
Orioles giving up such a promising player for a back-end-of-the-rotation
starter and two-month rental like Blanton. It’s more likely that the
Phils would get a mid-level prospect. Joe Jordan, the Phils’ first-year
farm director, spent the last seven years as Baltimore’s scouting
director so he has deep knowledge of the Orioles’
system.
So what’s the hold-up in the
Blanton-to-Baltimore deal? The Orioles may be balking at picking up the
remainder of Blanton’s salary, about $3 million. Having fallen badly out
of the NL wild card race, the Phillies are eager to shed salary so they
can get under the $178 million luxury-tax
threshold.
• Shane Victorino remains a strong
candidate to be dealt. A source mentioned the Dodgers as the most likely
trade partner, though the Giants and Reds have interest. Victorino is
owed just over $3 million for the remainder of the
season.
• According to a person with knowledge of the
situation, the Phils have tried to sell Hunter Pence to a number of
teams, particularly the Giants. No team has yet met the Phils’ price on
Pence, who is under control for next season and could make more than $14
million in salary arbitration.
• Cliff Lee has been
in play for weeks and remains so. There were reports Monday that the
Phils and Texas Rangers had stepped up trade discussions, but the
Rangers aren’t in a position to take on the $87.5 million that Lee is
owed for 2013-15.
If the Phils have made one thing
clear by dangling Pence and Lee, it’s that they are looking to free up
some payroll so they can have the resources to fill several holes. If
Pence and Lee survive Tuesday’s trade deadline, they could be moved
during the off-season.
• The Phils are also looking
to deal from their bench. Ty Wigginton could go and so could Juan
Pierre. The Reds like Pierre.
E-mail Jim
Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com
