The Red Sox have signed Brad Penny to a one-year deal, according to the Boston Herald. The same article by Sean McAdam also indicates that the Sox have signed Josh Bard, who will be a candidate for the backup catcher's role.
Penny is a low-cost, high reward addition for the Red Sox. The Boston Herald reports that Penny's deal includes a base salary of $5 million, and up to $3 million in incentives if he pitches 160 innings. His career numbers are comparable to those of A.J. Burnett. The 31-year-old veteran of nine major league seasons had shoulder tendinitis in 2008, when he was 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts and 94.2 innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers. When healthy, Penny is a solid middle of the rotation starter. With the Dodgers, he was 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 2007 and 16-9 with a 4.33 ERA in 2006. Penny was a key starter on the World Series champion Florida Marlins in 2003, when he was 14-10 with a 4.13 ERA and stymied the Yankees in the World Series.
Penny will seemingly battle for the No.4 spot in the rotation. It will be interesting to see if the Red Sox will pursue another starter, such as Ben Sheets or Kenshin Kawakami, or enter spring training with Penny and Wakefield at the back of the rotation. I would like to see Penny used as insurance - a la Bartolo Colon in 2008 - and Sheets or Kawakami added. Of course, unlike last off-season, we now know that Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden are major league ready. Don't forget Kris Johnson, the 24-year-old left-hander and first round selection in 2006 who could help in a role reminiscent of Kason Gabbard in 2007. Even if Bowden is included in a deal to get a catcher, the presence of Clay Buchholz and Masterson gives the Red Sox quality starting pitching depth, so perhaps Theo Epstein will be content with just signing Penny.
Since Daniel Bard could be included in a trade for a catcher, it would be ideal for Boston to sign or acquire another reliever. And now it is time to move forward on getting a fourth outfielder (Eric Byrnes, Rocco Baldelli?), a utility infielder (Jerry Hairston Jr., Willie Bloomquist?) and a starting catcher and perhaps another backup catcher candidate.
Josh Bard has a non-guaranteed major league deal of $1.6 million, so he is not a sure thing to earn the backup catcher's job. The 30-year-old Bard lasted seven games as Wakefield's personal catcher in 2006 and was traded to San Diego and hit .338 (in 231 at-bats) that season and .285 (in 389 at-bats) in 2007 before batting just .202 in 178 at-bats last season.
The presence of Bard suggests that Boston is thinking about having Jason Varitek catch Wakefield, or not resigning the captain. If Bard makes the team, he would likely get more playing time if the Red Sox acquire a young catcher like Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
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