Joe Blanton is returning to the Dodgers.
Yes, the same Joe Blanton who posted a 4.99 earned-run average for them in 2012.
And, yes, the same Joe Blanton who was even worse with the Angels the following season, when he was 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA.
The once-ineffective starter is now a reliever, one who pitched well enough in the final months of last season to convince the Dodgers to sign him Tuesday to a one-year, $4-million contract.
Blanton, 35, pitched 76 innings last season for the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates, posting an ERA of 2.