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Penny should attract NL interest

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Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter.

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Updated Aug 27, 2009 5:47 PM ET
     
 
Right-hander Brad Penny, released by the Red Sox on Wednesday night, could be a very popular man once he clears waivers on Monday.
The Giants are showing the most interest, according to one major-league source. At this moment, the Rockies' interest is limited. Rockies manager Jim Tracy had Penny in Los Angeles but is not necessarily a fan, sources said. No team figures to claim Penny, but the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Twins would consider it. Penny is owed more than $1 million by the Red Sox and is 28 1/3 innings away from cashing the first in a series of $500,000 incentives. However, once Penny is officially released, he will be available for a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary — the approximate price of a September call-up. Penny, 31, requested his release with the idea of joining a contender and building his value before he enters the free-agent market this offseason. His logical next step would be to return to the National League, where he had spent his entire career before signing with the Red Sox as a free agent last winter. Penny would make sense for the Rockies, replacing right-hander Josh Fogg in the rotation and moving to the bullpen once Aaron Cook is healthy. He would make sense as a starter for the Giants, who are using left- hander Joe Martinez as the replacement for the injured Randy Johnson. And he would make sense as a reliever or bullpen for the Marlins, for whom he played from 2000 to '04. The Rockies, Marlins and Giants all had interest in Penny last off- season before Penny signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Red Sox. His deal also includes separate $500,000 bonuses for reaching 160, 170, 180 and 190 innings, but those will be voided once he is released. The Dodgers, too, could use Penny, but it's highly doubtful they would have interest in re-acquiring him. Third-base coach Larry Bowa reacted angrily after Penny told reporters in spring training, "I just feel like nobody had my back there." The Rays and A's are among the AL teams with possible interest in Penny. But pitchers routinely enjoy greater success after moving from the AL to NL — the Phillies' Cliff Lee and Cardinals' John Smoltz are two recent examples. "He absolutely should go back to the National League with free agency a month away," one general manager said. "He's stupid if he stays in the AL" Penny was 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA for the Red Sox. He was effective in 12 starts from May 3 to July 4, going 4-3 with a 3.68 ERA. But in his last nine starts, he was 1-5 with a 6.98 ERA.
Tagged: Joe Martinez, Giants, Aaron Cook, Brad Penny, Rockies, Marlins, Rays, Cliff Lee, Red Sox, Phillies, Cardinals

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