Did Philadelphia Just Win the NL East?

Since the trade for Joe Blanton went down yesterday, I've heard a lot of people going both ways on the move. Everything from this being a horrible move because of Citizens Bank Ballpark to the Phillies making what could end up being the most underrated move of the trade season.

I fall on the latter end of the spectrum.

If the Phillies were making this move in anticipation of Blanton becoming their ace or at least a go-to guy down the stretch, I definitely agree, it was a needless trade. However, Philadelphia knows exactly what they were doing here -- they acquired a pitcher who is very capable of eating innings and stabilizing a rotation. If you look at the rotation he was coming from in Oakland, he had essentially become a backend guy out there, with the emergence of Justin Duchscherer after years as a reliever and the lefties Dana Eveland and Greg Smith, who came over in the Danny Haren trade.

He's going to fill almost the exact same role with the Phils. Cole Hamels is one of the best number ones in the game, Kyle Kendrick and Brett Myers both have the stuff to be lights out number twos and Jaime Moyer is still going strong at 45. Even if Myers moves back to the bullpen now that he's been recalled, Blanton would likely factor into the three or four spot in the rotation. At that point, having someone with the type of stuff Blanton has working against other guys at the backend of the rotation, you're going to win a considerable amount of ballgames which would otherwise be a crapshoot matching up fringe and swing starters.

Something else to consider is Blanton isn't a flyball pitchers like an Eric Milton, who had a horrible stretch in both Philly and Cincinnati after moving from the cavernous Metrodome. His main problem right now is giving up too many good pitches early in the count. If he can keep the ball down in the zone, he's going to give the Phillies a quality number two starter's numbers out of the backend. Something which can make or break your season, just ask any Braves fan how last season went.

And how does this effect the bullpen if Myers does make the move? Well, with how lights out Brad Lidge has been, Ryan Madson continuing to piece it all together and show the potential everyone bestowed on him, Chad Durbin being one of the best middle relievers in the game and LOOGY J.C. Romero shutting everyone down, it gives them the league's best bullpen to support what could be the league's best rotation and offense.

And just as a reference point, when I was doing my analysis of the contenders' top three starters a few weeks ago, I had Blanton ranked seventeenth out of thirty pitchers in the AL. For the Phillies, I had Hamels rated third, Kendrick 19th and Moyer 21st. It may not be a vast improvement, but it puts some more distance between them and the Mets, who were already a few places below Philly.

Now, what about those Mets? I'm about as sold on them as I am the Marlins, which is to say, not very much at all. Wright, Reyes and Beltran are going to lead this team, there's no debating it. They are going to live and die with how they peform down the stretch. They are getting some added production from Delgrado, along with unexpected help from Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis, but is it going to be enough? With how shakey and makeshift the Mets have been all season, I don't see anyway their offense can compete with either Philly or Florida. Right now, the Mets can settle with a rotation of Santana, Maine, Pedro, Perez and Pelfrey and still hang with anyone in terms of pitching, but their offense is going to need a bat the calibur of Adam Dunn if they are going to score the runs needed to hang with the other big bats in the NL East.

As for the Marlins, the addition of Josh Johnson isn't going to be enough to solidify their pitching. If they are going to make a run at this, they absolutely have to add a veteran big-name arm. Problem is, outside of a Josh Fogg, Bronson Arroyo or Jarrod Washburn, there aren't many solid pitchers out there to be had. They could perhaps swing something with the Mariners to make a move for Erik Bedard, but it isn't really in the Marlins nature to send away talent for rentals. As we all know, they are usually on the flipside of the equation. Olsen, Nolasco and Miller have been just good enough to keep them a game-and-a-half back entering tonight's action, but they just don't have anyone on their roster or in the Minors who is ready to make the jump and contribute in a pennant race.

So, back to my original question, has the acquisition of Blanton solidified the Phillies as the team to beat in the East? I say absolutely. They may be currently tied with the Mets, but right now, New York just has the hot-hand. They are going to come down at some point, and most likely will fall back into the same void they were in for the time Willie Randolph was still on the payroll. All the Phillies have to do is keep pace until they do hit the inevitable wall and they could have the division wrapped up by the middle of September, depending on when it does happen. I would have hands down given the Phillies the advantage prior to yesterday's move, but now, I have no doubt they will run away with this division unless the Mets and Marlins can make some major impact moves in the next two weeks.