Philadelphia Phillies: Joe Blanton Joins the Squad, But Will He Deliver?

For the Phillies to contend through October, Joe Blanton must turn his game around— quick.

Pitching has been the Phillies' Achilles heel over the past six years. And pitching will continue to cost the Phils their chances at a World Series— unless Blanton can reverse his 2008 slide and contribute in September.

Here's hoping that this conservative trade— three minor leaguers for an unproven starter— will pay off.

Because, in the end, it's that fifth spot that will make or break the Phils as they watch the Mets and Marlins surge into the NL East limelight.

In a tight division with a young and powerful Marlins club (who have a penchant for slapping pitchers around) and an impressive Mets lineup (deep talent at the plate and on the mound), each individual game will be the difference between heading to the playoffs or heading to the golf course.

Is Joe Blanton, sporting a record of 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA, the answer?

From the outset, it seems unlikely. Blanton is your typical Phillies trade deadline pickup: either a washed-up former star, or in Blanton's case, an unvetted youngling.

Phillies fans probably groaned upon reading his name and wondering, "who's that?" However, after closer inspection, Blanton actually sports a few characteristics that could help him to blend in and succeed with the Phillies.

He often throws six or seven innings, which is considered deep for a Phillies pitcher.

Blanton favors a plain and simple pitching strategy: almost all fastballs and changeups. That's a good thing considering that many Phillies hurlers have been hammered on hanging curveballs and sloppy sliders in big situations (I'm looking at you, Mitch Williams).

And, best of all, he doesn't give up a ton of home runs. Statistically, Blanton only gave up one home run every two starts.

A's fans at the cavernous Alameda Coliseum (I don't care what they've renamed it, it's still the Alameda Coliseum) might shrug at that stat. But for patrons at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, who can easily confuse baseballs with helium balloons judging by the way they seem to float ever-so-gently beyond the foul poles, Blanton could quickly become a favorite.

The home run has killed every Phillies season for the past six years. The Phils' bats will work fine, as they always have, in big games. It's that one pesky long ball by Dan Uggla or David Wright that could unravel yet another championship hope.

Yes, he brings some questionable stats from Oakland. But, Blanton should be able to improve his win record and ERA in Philly. He was facing tougher competitors in the American League, especially in the AL West where he pitched against the domineering Angels.

It would have been nice to get CC Sabathia or Roy Oswalt in red pinstripes. Still, Joe Blanton is a decent acquisition. I like this pick-up a lot better than some of the alternatives that were floating around (namely: trading for Bedard from the Mariners, bringing Brett Myers back from the Iron Pigs).

And, I trust his A's pedigree. For some reason, pitchers seem to thrive after donning the green and gold.

So, while I'm still a bit skeptical and think the Phils probably could have made a better move, I'll withhold my negativity and hope that Blanton was indeed the right choice to stop the Phillies' losing skid.

Welcome to Philadelphia, Joe Blanton! Don't worry— if it doesn't work out, you'll get used to the boos in due time.