The Pittsburgh Pirates were facing a dilemma at the trade deadline: starter A.J. Burnett was headed to the disabled list and his future with the team was in doubt. Vance Worley was struggling for the Pirates, with a 5.91 ERA in July. The Pirates ended up swapping out the two former Phillies for two former Phillies in J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton.
Blanton was commonly called "Big Joe" when he was a member of the Phillies. But Blanton, noticeably slimmer, came out of retirement to give baseball one last go prior to the 2015 season. Blanton signed with the Kansas City Royals as a minor league free agent with no guarantees. Blanton did rise to the majors with the Royals, appearing in 15 games (four starts), going 2-2 with two saves and a 3.89 ERA.
The very deep Royals bullpen was completely full, partially thanks to the re-emergence of former Phillies pitcher Ryan Madson. So, Blanton ended up the odd man out, despite some success, and was designated for assignment by the Royals. The Pirates grabbed him.
For the Pirates Blanton was even better. Appearing exclusively as a reliever, Blanton has pitched in 21 games. Blanton has put up a 1.57 earned run average with the Pirates, neither winning or losing any games. Blanton's role has to be a steady hand in the middle of games.
Happ has been a steady force at the front of games. When the Pirates added Happ, it was to eat innings without blowing up too badly. Happ did much more than that. In Happ's 11 starts, the lefty went 7-2 with a 1.85 earned run average.
Because Happ pitched Sunday, he is not on the Wild Card game roster. Since it's a one-game round, the Pirates are carrying just one other starter beyond Cole, in Francisco Lirano, in case of an emergency. The Pirates are also carrying a third catcher for that purpose as well, with three fewer starters on the roster.
Happ may, however, find himself starting a postseason game if the Pirates advance. The choice may be between Happ or the retiring A.J. Burnett. Burnett's last start this season was a good one, as were all of his starts since returning from the disabled list September 10. In five starts, Burnett has allowed either two of three runs, starting five innings his first start back, and going deeper each of the successive starts.
Happ is a free agent after the season, and a few people have listed Happ as a possible free agent target for the Phillies. Happ would fit the bill of what the Phillies need. The greatest cause of stress were the consistent blow-ups by starters Aaron Harang, Jerome Williams, and the like. Happ is almost a guarantee to go six innings, without allowing more than three runs most of the time.
Blanton is on the Wild Card round roster as a reliever. The Pirates also have former Phillies reliever Antonio Bastardo on the Wild Card game roster. Vance Worley remains a member of the Pirates 40-man roster, but will not likely appear in a postseason game.
