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Joe Blanton signs minor league deal with Royals

One year he was hitting a home run in the World Series, and a few seasons later, he was getting cut by the Angels with a disastrous 6.04 ERA. It's been a tumultuous few years for Blanton. Even at the end of his tenure with the Phillies, he was considered the weakest part of an elite rotation. This was followed by injuries until he was eventually traded to the Dodgers in the 2012 purge that saw the departures of Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence as well.

It was after his putrid year with the Angels in 2013 that Blanton decided to hang it up, following a brief stint with the Sacramento River Cats at Triple A. After a year of retirement, however, the 34-year-old righthander began working out in Nashville with his neighbor, White Sox pitcher Zach Duke.

After holding a workout for several interested teams, Blanton got a deal with the defending American League champion Kansas City Royals. However, it is a minor league deal, and offers pretty much no risk for the Royals, who are looking for depth in their rotation. Blanton has been invited to spring training and stands to make $1 million should he appear with the big club.

Blanton's career numbers are indicative of his struggles over the course of his ten years in the majors: 4.51 ERA, 1.360 WHIP, 6.2 SO/9, 2.4 BB/9, and 1086 SO with 412 BB over 248 starts with the A's, Phillies, Dodgers, and Angels.