Option A: One year of Joe Blanton for $10.5 million Option B: Two years of A.J. Burnett for $13 millionThere is no way you’re choosing Option A, and that is why despite his disappointments and shortcomings Burnett would have made the Phillies better over the next two seasons.In order to acquire Burnett — as tweeted by Buster Olney Sunday night — Ruben Amaro was reportedly attempting to trade Blanton to the Angels for Bobby Abreu (gasp!), before trading Abreu back to the Yankees for Burnett.The salaries of Blanton and Abreu nearly match up — Abreu is due $9 million in 2012 — meaning that the Phillies likely wouldn’t have had to eat much, if any, salary in the proposed deal.At the end of the day, Yankees GM Brian Cashman likely decided to trade Burnett to the Pirates because potential DH Raul Ibanez would be significantly cheaper than Abreu for slightly less value, and because improving the Pirates means much less than improving the Phillies.Olney later tweeted that the Phillies saw t...
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February 21, 2012
