Heavy B Is Here To Stay

The Phillies and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. continued their busy offseason today when they annouced pitcher Joe Blanton had agreed to a shiny new three-year $24-million contract. With this signing the Phillies now have their top four pitchers signed through at least 2010 (Halladay, Hamels, Blanton and Happ). That's pretty good.

Some will say the Phillies didn't need to do this right now and could have got a better deal in the offseason. That may be true, but I have no problem paying $8 million to a 29-year old who throws 190+ innings of 4.00-ish ERA ball. Remember, the Mets are paying Oliver Perez $12 million a year to walk every batter he faces and the Cubs are paying Carlos Silva the same (how bad a dude does Milton Bradley have to be for the Cubs to trade him for Silva? ) to suck balls. So, you can do much, much worse that Joe Blanton.

Plus, any dude that leaves a game wearing an electrical socket costume is awesome. That and any pitcher that does this.

And for those who have never seen her, here is his wife.