


His contract (with $8.5 million left, including a $1 million buyout of a 2015 option) is guaranteed, so releasing him does not save a penny. He's taking up a roster spot, but until you have someone better for that spot, it doesn't matter. The Angels are likely to have three or four empty spots after non-tendering some players today. That leaves plenty of room for whatever free agents they may sign.

What's the worst-case scenario? Blanton shows up to spring training and shows no signs of improving on last year's performance and the Angels have to release him then to clear a spot on the active 25-man roster.

The difference is, if you release him now, you don't give him a chance to have a good spring and show that he can be a productive major leaguer, either for the Angels or someone else.

Remember Vernon Wells? A year ago he was Joe Blanton. He didn't fit in the Angels plans at all. But Wells showed up to spring training and played very well. The Yankees had some injuries and they took Wells and about $14 million worth of his salary.

That's $14 million the Angels wouldn't have had if they'd simply released Wells last winter.

Back to Blanton. He is going to be 33 next week. He has a career 4.51 ERA, which is better than Phil Hughes (4.54). Yes, Hughes in younger and has better stuff and had his numbers inflated by pitching at Yankee Stadium. But he just got $24 million. You don't think it's possible that, if Blanton looks good in the spring -- and he looked very good last spring, by the way -- that some team would take him for $1 million? Maybe even $2 million?

Blanton did say that he felt like he figured out what went wrong. There is zero risk, and some potential gain, for the Angels in letting him show what he's got in spring training.

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