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Kendrick Avoids Arbitration, Inks for $2.45 Million; Blanton Staying?

Kyle Kendrick and the Phillies traded arbitration numbers today, but it never got that far. The two sides agreed on a one-year, $2.45 million pact for the 2011 season.

Jon Heyman broke the news via Twitter.

The 26-year old Kendrick pitched in 180 2/3 innings last season, putting up a 4.73 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while going 11-10. It was his fourth season with the Phillies and during his time in Philadelphia, Kendrick has accumulated a 35-24 record with a 4.69 ERA and 1.425 WHIP.

As of this time, Kendrick is out of the rotation with Joe Blanton has the fifth starter.

Adding KK’s contract to the pot, that puts the Phillies payroll at $164.83 million for 2011. (Hat tip to Matt Gelb for doing the math).

UPDATE, 5:59 pm: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com spoke with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro today who said that he does not feel comfortable moving Joe Blanton this season and will keep him “probably for the entire season.”

If the Phillies want to play it safe in the arms race, then keeping Blanton is a no-brainer. This also suggests that they aren’t getting bites on the Blanton bait right now, so this could be a motivator for Big Joe.

Pat Gallen

Pat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.