All the talk about how much Joe Blanton was requesting in arbitration and how much the Phillies were countering with is now pretty meaningless.

The Phils announced today that the two sides, almost $3 million apart in initial arbitration figures, have come to an agreement on a three-year, $24 million contract. Blanton will meet the media to talk about the deal later this afternoon.

The 29-year-old Blanton could have filed for free agency after the upcoming season.

Two days ago, on the day arbitration eligible players and teams submit salary requests, Blanton asked for $10.25 million while the Phils countered with $7.5 million.

Blanton was 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA in 31 regular season starts in 2009. He made $5.475 million last year.