Phillies sign Victorino, Blanton to 1 year deals

And then there were three.

When you are one of the key players on a World Series winning team, you can expect a big raise, and that is exactly what Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton got from the Phillies. Both players avoided arbitration and signed one year deals with the Phillies. Victorino, who made 480,000 last year, will make 3.125 million in 2009. Blanton signed for 5.475 million, a raise over the 3.7 million he made last year. Both deals are solid moves for good prices considering how important each player is to the team.

Victorino will be worth every penny as a sparkplug in the lineup who provides speed and even the occasional homer. I would have liked to see him sign on for longer but he won't be going anywhere because the Phillies still own his rights for a few more years.

Blanton will solidify the back end of the rotation as he will assume the 3rd or 4th starter spot. He brings consistency with the knowledge that the Phillies will get a strong start from him every 5th day.

With these two players signing, the Phillies are left with just three arbitration-eligible players: Chad Durbin, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth