Cardinals sign Brad Penny to free agent deal

Posted on December 7, 2009

Brad Penny #31 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the San Diego Padres during the game at AT&T Park on September 7, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

I was just watching the MLB Network where Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci reported that the St. Louis Cardinals have just signed free agent pitcher Brad Penny to a one year deal worth $7.5 million. Penny is one of those guys who you love to hate, unless he is on your team and throwing well like he did for my San Francisco Giants at the end of the 2009 season when he went 4-1 with a .259 ERA after being released by the Boston Red Sox.

I first shot Penny when he was with the Florida Marlins in 2002 (see below) when I was shooting color slide film! That was a long time ago. He was a big kid who threw hard who was eventually sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the famous Paul Lo Duca trade in 2004.

Penny put together a few nice years with the Dodgers and spent some time with a high profile girlfriend when he dated Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano. After an injury-riddled 6-9 season in 2008 he joined the Boston Red Sox as a free agent for the 2009 season. His season in Boston was a nightmare that ended in August when he was released after his last five starts resulted in an 0-4 record with a 9.11 ERA.

On August 31, 2009 Penny signed with the Giants after clearing waivers. He made a believer out of me and Giants fans all over when he went 8 strong innings to beat the Philadelphia Phillies on the road by a score of 4-0 in his first start in the orange and black. The Giants were hanging tough in the wild card race for the first few weeks of September and Penny was a huge part of their success as he put together a nice 4-1 record with the Giants and became fast friends with Tim Lincecum. Every time you looked in the dugout Penny and Lincecum could be seen sitting next to each other.

I was one of the many Giants fans who thought it would be cool to try and get Penny back in 2010 as he made one helluva fifth starter in their great rotation. His nice run down the stretch for the Giants undoubtedly boosted his stock in a free agent year and it looks like the Cardinals have won the battle to secure his services for the 2010 campaign. Penny joins 2009 Cy Young candidates Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, as well as veteran Kyle Lohse, in the Cardinals’ starting five. Pitching in the 4th spot in a rotation under the watchful eye of Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan should be a real nice place for Penny to perform in 2010.