Murphy: On Indianapolis and Kentucky Joe

Obviously, reporters from Philadelphia read this report. And when they gathered in Amaro’s suite, they asked him to address it. Amaro, as he always does, refused to comment on specific trade rumors. But, interestingly enough, he said he could not entirely rule out the possibility of trading away a member of his rotation. Now, sports reporters aren’t always the sharpest chains on the blade, but most of them are blessed with at least a passsable sense of deductive reasoning. And with Cole Hamels already having been ruled out as a trade candidate by Amaro earlier this offseason, and Cliff Lee going nowhere, and J.A. Happ possessing a $400,000 salary that makes him unwise to move, and Jamie Moyer possessing an $8 million salary that makes him impossible to move, those reporters were left with. . .cue the dramatic Law and Order music. . .Joe Blanton!

Suddenly, both ends of the rumor equation were fulfilled:

This: “The Phillies are checking on interest in Blanton, two major-league sources said.”

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This: “I don’t want to mess with our rotation as it stands. But that doesn’t mean I’ll make it a hard and fast rule.”

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This: The Phillies could be shopping Joe Blanton!

Fantastic article by David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News.