Veteran right-hander Brad Penny is hanging up his spikes, according to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm (via Twitter). Penny has been in camp with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal.
Now 37, Penny is rather far removed from productivity at the MLB level. Indeed, you could argue that his last full and fully effective season came way back in 2007 with the Dodgers, when he posted a career-low 3.03 ERA over a career-high 208 frames.
To that point — his age-29 season — the righty had provided 1,365 2/3 innings of 3.90 ERA pitching in extended stints with the Marlins and Dodgers. Since, he’s only appeared in 559 1/3 MLB innings and owns a composite 5.23 ERA, with his strikeout rate falling to less than five batters per nine.
Penny isn’t alone in battling the effects of age and injury, of course, and there’s a lot to commend about his willingness to keep returning to the hill — even when it’s in the minors. After leaving Los Angeles, Penny bounced from the Red Sox to the Giants, then on to the Cardinals for an injury-shortened run.
A stop in Japan did not work out as hoped, and Penny wasn’t effective in a relief role upon returning to San Francisco. He sat out all of 2013 before returning to the Marlins the following year though he couldn’t replicate a solid minor league showing at the MLB level. Last year, Penny made 24 starts at Triple-A for the White Sox, working to a 4.46 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
Cracking the Toronto roster always seemed a longshot, but this spring hadn’t gone as Penny probably hoped after entering camp as one of several bounceback veterans (among them Gavin Floyd, Roberto Hernandez, Wade LeBlanc, Randy Choate, David Aardsma, and Rafael Soriano, who is reportedly also retiring). He’s received a legitimate look — his seven frames is third-most in the organization — but the results haven’t been there. Penny has surrendered eight earned runs on 12 hits and four walks, with just three strikeouts on his ledger.
All said, it’s been a nice run for Penny, who ended up appearing in 14 MLB seasons and racked up 26.8 fWAR — most of it during his prime years with the Marlins and Dodgers. Penny played a major role on the then-Florida Marlins’ 2003 championship squad, taking the ball every fifth day during the regular season and logging two World Series wins. Los Angeles ultimately acquired him along with Hee-Seop Choi and Bill Murphy in a 2004 deadline deal that sent Juan Encarnacion, Paul Lo Duca, and Guillermo Mota to the Fish.
MLBTR wishes Penny the best of luck moving forward.
I’ll never forget the all star start he got where he came out of the gate pumping high 90s and even touching 100 if I remember right
That was amazingly something he always brought to the plate. When he pitched for the Tigers I was always surprised to see him sitting at 93-94 mph while occasionally touching 96-97. Maybe he just seemed older than he was, or that I felt due to his extremely low strikeout rate there was no way he threw that hard. Velocity isn’t everything, unfortunately.
Was a good teammate in Boston
Thats the third Jay to retire this spring. Were not going to have any depth by the time April roles around now
I’m not sure how much Penny could have helped
Eat innings in Buffalo, mentor the kids down there.
You don’t need innings eaters in AAA or mentors for that matter. You need major league ready players as depth for your parent club.
Where’s BigPapiForever? Didn’t Penny pitch half a season for his Sox?
lol
Can’t say I have fond memories of Penny, he was pretty awful for my Sox in 2009 with his 5.61 ERA (barf) but I wish him well in retirement regardless. Enjoy your retirement Brad!
Again man, really?
lol obviously his trolling is working b/c it rustles so many jimmies here.
Dude came to Fukuoka , pitched horrible for a few innings in the spring then basically walked out of camp and got on a plane back to the US. He couldn’t hack it.