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Brad Penny

Odds & Ends: Penny, Hardy, Hoffmann

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Some links to check out while you try to figure out what's for dinner…

  • ESPN's Keith Law says that both Jim Thome and Jon Garland have value to Dodgers in the roles they were acquired to fill, pinch hitter and innings eater. KLaw also notes that Jose Contreras is better option than anyone currently in the Rockies' organization, and that he might benefit from a move to the NL.
  • R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs says that people should be focusing more on the draft picks the White Sox gave away (Thome projects to be a Type-A free agent) than the fact that they're throwing in the towel on the season.
  • Brad Penny said he'd be willing to return to the AL East in the future, according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. "I think if I make my pitches against anyone, I'll do fine…Sometimes you don't get breaks. I was making some bad pitches, and leaving some balls up. In the AL East, you can't really do that," said Penny.
  • MLB.com's Adam McCalvy spoke to Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy about whether he'll be traded this offseason or not, and got this response: "It makes sense, not that I want to be traded."
  • Diamond Leung reports that the Dodgers have designated outfielder Jamie Hoffmann for assignment. The 25-yr old hit just .182/.167/.409 in his brief stint with LA earlier this year. It's always fun when a guy has a higher batting average than on-base percentage.
  • Matt Eddy of Baseball America posted last week's minor league transactions. The Brewers signed two former big leaguers – outfielders Jon Knott and Tike Redman – out of the independent Atlantic League.
  • Make sure you follow MLBTR on Twitter for the fastest rumor updates on the web.

Odds & Ends: Diamond, Penny, Pelekoudas

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Links for Tuesday…

  • Chat today, 2pm CST.
  • The Rangers designated pitcher Thomas Diamond for assignment, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  Diamond was the 10th overall pick in the 2004 draft.  He was considered the #52 prospect in the game by Baseball America in '05, but he had Tommy John surgery in '07 and dealt with shoulder soreness this year.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says the Angels were in on Brad Penny, with a bullpen role in mind.
  • Stephen Strasburg has a few things to learn about dealing with media attention, says John Feinstein of the Washington Post.
  • Mariners Associate GM Lee Pelekoudas has resigned to pursue other career opportunities, according to a team press release.  Pelekoudas was the Ms' interim GM before Jack Zduriencik was hired.  He spent 30 years in the organization. 
  • USA Today's Paul White writes about the stigma of a college degree for ballplayers.
  • Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star suggests newly-extended GM Dayton Moore, and not the Glass family, is accountable for the Royals' future performance.
  • Reliever Luis Ayala, recently designated for assignment by the Marlins after pitching badly, was upset by the team's "lack of respect" (Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporting).  Ayala earned $1.3MM for his 5.63 ERA this year in 40 innings.

Giants To Sign Brad Penny

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The Giants will sign Brad Penny, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. They'll pay him only the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary, which is only about $75k at this point. 

The Giants now have a formidable rotation. Penny, Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez join Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain to form arguably the best rotation in baseball. The Giants, who are tied for the NL Wild Card lead, expect Randy Johnson to return as a reliever sometime in September.

Brad Penny Rumors: Monday

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2:00pm: Heyman reports that Brad Penny went unclaimed and is now free to sign with any club. In his SI.com column, Heyman suggests the Giants are favorites to sign him

1:18pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Giants are the "strong favorites" to sign Penny if he clears waivers. Should the Giants sign Penny, they would pay him the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary and the Red Sox would cover everything else.

10:08am: Jon Heyman of SI.com notes that the Twins are interested in Brad Penny. Twins officials did not deny that the team may claim Penny on waivers, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. A number of other teams are also pursuing the big righty, but the Marlins and Giants are reportedly frontrunners. Penny could clear release waivers today, at which point he would become a free agent. Then, he'd be able to sign with the team of his choice. A team could still claim Penny off waivers, but they would have to take on his contract.

The Twins will use Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins out of the bullpen when they return from their respective injuries, so they could use Penny in their rotation.

Heyman On Penny, Atkins, Dye, Nationals

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Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Giants appear to have a good chance of signing Brad Penny if he clears waivers today. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • The Rockies could non-tender Garrett Atkins after the season. He'd be in line for at least $7MM and the team may decide to spend that money elsewhere.
  • The White Sox are expected to want to pick up Jermaine Dye's $12MM mutual option for 2010, but Dye could turn it down and try the free agent market instead. Given the relatively small contracts Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu signed after last season and the competition Dye would face on the market, there's no guarantee Dye would make more than $12MM. Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and Johnny Damon will all hit free agency after the season. 
  • The Nationals are expected to replace Jim Riggleman with a new field manager next year.

Brad Penny Rumors: Sunday

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Brad Penny isn't scheduled to clear waivers until early next week, but we've already heard that several clubs are interested in picking him up for the stretch run. The Oakland A's are one of those teams, but Susan Slusser of The SF Chronicle says that the team believes Penny "might be claimed on release waivers and he likely would accept because he is close to getting some bonuses."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney hears that in all likelikood, Penny's decision will come down to whatever team appears to have the best chance of winning a championship. Pitching for a contender would allow him to "better set himself up for his impending free agency." This is just my belief, but if he wants to boost his stock prior to free agency he's best off heading back to the National League.

Perrotto’s Latest: Twins, Damon, Franklin, Penny, Dye

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John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus brings us his latest from around the leagues:

  • When they come off the DL, Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins will be used in relief. So, the Twins are hoping to add a starter who can pitch in the playoffs. This means they have until tomorrow at midnight to do so.
  • The Yankees would like to re-sign Johnny Damon to a one year deal and give Austin Jackson a second year to develop at Triple-A, while pursuing Matt Holliday and Jason Bay in the offseason.
  • The Marlins and Giants are frontrunners to land Brad Penny.
  • The Cardinals expect to exercise Ryan Franklin’s $2.75MM club option and then sign an extension with their closer for 2011.
  • The Royals want to extend G.M. Dayton Moore who is signed through 2010.
  • Perrotto says the Cubs are likely to deal Milton Bradley this winter, even if it means eating a large portion of the $21MM owed to him through 2011.
  • Jermaine Dye will more than likely not see his $12MM option exercised by the White Sox after a dip in production in tandem with the salary demands of Alex Rios and Jake Peavy.
  • For the postseason, the Dodgers are seeking “a left-handed bat with power” for their bench.
  • The Nats are auditioning Livan Hernandez as a veteran innings eater for 2010.
  • The Diamondbacks may non-tender Conor Jackson.
  • Brewers manager Ken Macha said G.M. Doug Melvin “scoured the area for pitching” before the deadline but was unable to add a starter because he refused to trade Mat Gamel or Alcides Escobar.
  • After making seven trades this year, the Pirates are the youngest team in the MLB.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Penny, Harden, Lidge

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Rumor machine Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count Video up at FoxSports.com. Let's dive on in…

  • The outcome of this weekend's games could determine which team the recently released Brad Penny signs with. The Giants and Marlins are the two teams pursuing him the most, but the Giants are in a better position in the NL Wildcard standings.
  • The Yankees, Twins, and A's are also expressing interest in the righthander, but "what pitcher in his right mind would want to stay in the American League?"
  • The A's and Padres have even "floated the idea" of signing Penny beyond the rest of this season, but Penny's best bet might be to go to a team like the Giants and reestablish himself in a pennant race, then go back into the free agent pool this winter on a high note.
  • The Cubs are more open to dealing Rich Harden to the Twins than you might think. The Cubs could receive two high draft picks if they offer Harden arbitration after the season and he signs elsewhere, but that's a risky strategy. Given his injury history, the club might not want to take a $10MM or so hit if he accepts, even for only one year.
  • The bigger question with Harden may be how aggressive the Twins will be in trying to deal for him. Remember that stars Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan have said the team needs more to contend, with Morneau mentioning that the team needs to impress Joe Mauer since he's due to become a free agent after next season.
  • Yes, the Yankees were messing with the Red Sox when they claimed Chris Carter off waivers, but Boston's 40-man roster only has 38 players on it at the moment. Daisuke Matsuzaka will assume one of those spots when he comes off the 60-day DL, and the other is reserved for Paul Byrd.
  • People might need to relax when it comes to Brad Lidge's struggles. His recent blown save against the Pirates might be the result of overuse, as Lidge was pitching for the fourth straight day. He had done it twice before this season, but he entered game three of that stretch with a four-run lead. Manager Charlie Manuel may need to be more careful with how he uses his closer down the stretch.

Brad Penny Rumors: Saturday

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1:26pm: According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Yankees and Giants have also begun showing serious interest in Penny.  Heyman opines, and many others agree, that an "NL team might be better for him."

9:19am: Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports says that the Marlins are "among the most serious suitors" for Brad Penny's services in the wake of Penny's release from the Red Sox this week. Penny is apparently set to clear release waivers sometime soon.

The Marlins' interest has been noted here, but it looks like a decision will come soon. Morosi believes that the finalization of the move will probably be predicated on how well the Fish play against the Padres this weekend, and says that winning this series could justify a Penny addition. Morosi also says that the Rockies, while still looking for starting pitching, aren't in the market for Penny.

When Penny departed the Marlins for the Dodgers in 2004 in a trade he was in top form, having put up a 3.15 ERA and 105/39 K/BB ratio in 131 innings that season. He's only matched that brilliance in one season since, but a move to the NL certainly can't hurt.

Brad Penny Rumors: Thursday

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10:24pm: Olney reports that the Rockies will not pursue Penny this season.

4:29pm: Olney notes that Penny can decline any waiver claim. This essentially gives him the chance to assure himself free agency. Becoming a free agent would mean forfeiting the chance to earn the incentives on his contract.

3:37pm: The Yankees claimed Brad Penny earlier in August, only to see the Red Sox pull him back, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.

3:19pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post notes that it's becoming increasingly unlikely that the Rockies will add Brad Penny. Some people within the organization believe he'd help, but others are concerned that he would not fit it. Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies first reported that the Rockies weren't likely to add Penny this morning.

2:20pm: Joe Christensen of the Mineapolis Star-Tribune hears that the Twins would consider claiming Penny off release waivers and taking on the rest of his salary instead of waiting for him to become a free agent.

2:16pm: George A. King III of the New York Post hears that the Yankees have interest in Penny. The Yanks haven't heard anything to suggest Penny promised the Red Sox he wouldn't sign with an AL contender. Johnny Damon says he'd like the Yankees to add Penny.

1:16pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms that the Rockies, Giants and Marlins are interested in Penny. None of those teams are likely to claim him before Monday, because they would have to take on the remainder of his salary to do so. If they wait until Penny clears waivers, he'll cost less than $100k.

12:01pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from one GM who believes Brad Penny "absolutely should go back to the National League" once he can sign with the team of his choice on Monday. "He's stupid if he stays in the AL," the GM adds. 

Rosenthal says Penny makes sense for the Rockies, Giants and Marlins. The Dodgers could use him, but Rosenthal doubts Penny would re-join the team. Penny will cost less than $100k, because his incentives are negated once he's released.

And here's a roundup of the rumors we've already heard about Penny today:

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