KC Royals: What Signing Joe Blanton Means

On Friday, the KC Royals signed pitcher Joe Blanton to a minor-league deal after he missed all of the 2014 season.

CBS Sports Jon Heyman tweeted details about the deal Friday:

blanton #royals deal also includes $3M in incentives. he can request release if not on majors roster april 1 & may 15
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 13, 2015

By itself, signing the 34-year-old Blanton seems little more than a footnote to the Royals off-season. After a terrible 2013 in which American League hitters bombed him for a 6.04 ERA in 132.2 innings, Blanton looked finished as a major league pitcher.

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Blanton went into semi-retirement when the Angels and A’s cut him loose last season. He hasn’t put up an ERA+ better than 100 since 2009. So why does anyone (me in particular, since I’m writing this article) care?

What’s interesting about the Blanton signing is what it tells us about the thought process in the Kansas City Royals front office.

With five days until the pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Arizona for spring training, the KC Royals rotation depth chart includes Yordano Ventura, Danny Duffy, Edinson Volquez, Jeremy Guthrie, and Jason Vargas. Behind the starting five sit minor leaguers Brian Flynn and John Lamb along with Twins journeyman Yohan Pino. Kris Medlen should be ready to return by mid-season, but the Royals are being careful bringing him back in his recovery from his second Tommy John surgery.

In the short-term, the KC Royals need a 6th starter with a track record of eating innings.

Enter Joe Blanton.

Blanton fits the mold of veteran free-agent acquisitions Jeremy Guthrie and Jason Vargas. He throws strikes. He eats innings. He doesn’t strike out a ton of guys and didn’t light the world on fire before the KC Royals signed him.

Yet, Dayton Moore has had good luck with these guys in Kansas City. With a big ballpark and terrific defensive team, pitchers that can take the ball every five days without giving up a ton of walks can be more than serviceable.

Dayton Moore paid Edinson Volquez $10 million over the next two years because he became that kind of a guy in Pittsburgh last year, and he’s giving Joe Blanton a chance because he’s been that kind of guy in the past.

Signing Blanton also shows that the Royals front office have some concern about their starting pitching going into spring training. Such caution is clearly justified. Volquez, Vargas, and Guthrie are all on the wrong side of 30, and the rotation has lost its leader in James Shields.

Aside from leadership, Shields also is leaving a 227 inning hole at a 3.15 ERA.

The Royals need to be sure that they can cover those innings with at least credible performance, or they are unlikely to match the 89 wins that allowed them to skin into the playoffs in 2014.

That’s what the Joe Blanton signing is all about. The KC Royals are built to excel in the post-season with a strong bullpen and running game. Before they can win those tight playoff contests. however, they need to survive the regular season.

Maybe Joe Blanton helps, and maybe he doesn’t. But at the very least it means the Royals won’t be forced to rush a prospect like Kyle Zimmer or Sean Manaea into a pennant race and damage his development.

Next: Ten Greatest Moments in KC Royals History

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