The Oakland Athletics reached an agreement with starting pitcher Joe Blanton on a minor-league contract. Blanton was recently released by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after struggling in 2013.
ESPN reports that Blanton went 2-14 with a 6.04 earned run average. He had signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Angels beforehand.
The Angels gave him a chance to put his disastrous season behind him, but his struggles continued in spring training. He gave up 16 runs in 20.1 innings.
Blanton previously played for the A's since he was drafted by them, according to CBS Sports. He was taken in the first round in 2002.
He remained in Oakland until 2008, when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. He helped them win a World Series and stayed in Philadelphia until the 2012 trade deadline. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers before he signed with the Angels.
Blanton will start in the Triple-A rotation for the A's, and he will provide depth for a rotation that has already lost Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin to injuries.