Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The list of players who served as backup infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 was a mostly forgettable one. At various points in the season, the job was held by the likes of Jayson Nix, Freddy Galvis, Ronnie Cedeno, Cesar Hernandez, and the sporadically unawful Reid Brignac.
At the conclusion of the season, Andres Blanco was the man filling that role. But with today’s news that Blanco has been outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster, it looks like it may continue to be an unsettled position heading into 2015.
Blanco has bounced around the major leagues, playing for four different teams since breaking into the majors in 2004. He was signed as a free agent by the Phillies before the 2014 season and was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.
He spent the majority of the season in the minor leagues, but after all of the aforementioned players were given chances, the Phillies added him to the major league roster on July 2nd.
Blanco is known for his defensive ability, but he actually performed well with the bat as well, batting .277 with a home run in 25 games.
This doesn’t necessarily mark the end of Blanco’s tenure with the Phillies. They simply dropped him from the 40-man roster so that they could add minor leaguers who might otherwise be eligible for the Rule 5 draft.
So for all you Blanco fans out there, I have some good news: There’s a decent chance that he’ll be back with the team at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.