Philadelphia Phillies GM, Ruben Amaro, said (via Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports) that he has no intention to move right-handed starting pitcher Joe Blanton before Opening Day. There was speculation that the Phillies would move Blanton in the wake of the Cliff Lee signing.

“I don’t feel comfortable doing it,” Amaro told FOXSports.com. “He’s going to pitch for the Phillies, probably for the entire season.”

“I really don’t have to do anything,” Amaro said earlier this month when he was asked whether he will shed anymore payroll before the season starts. “We’ll see whether it makes some sense to increase some flexibility for us for later on, but at some point, as I’ve said, we’ve just got to see what we’ve got in Spring Training and move on from there.”

MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reported on January 11 that Blanton is penciled in as the team’s fifth starter behind the foursome of Roy Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.

Many rival executives expect the Phillies to eat at least some of Blanton’s contract ($8.5 million in 2011 and $8.5 million in 2012) if they decide to move the right-hander. The Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers were mentioned in December as possible destinations for Blanton.