The San Francisco Giants certainly have some issues with their bullpen at the moment, with Brian Wilson out for the year, Guillermo Mota suspended for PED's, Jeremy Affeldt hurting himself doing mundane things again, and a few young guns from Fresno that may still be a bit green for the Big Leagues.
But there is one former Giant that recently came on the market that the team might draw some interest in, as Baseball Nation is reporting that Brad Penny has been released from his Japanese team and is already drawing offers back in the states.
Should the Giants pursue?
Penny apparently could not adjust to the game and lifestyle of Japan while playing with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks since February. He's already drawing interest as both a starter and a reliever according to the report, and at only 33 years old he certainly should have something left in the tank.
Penny was a late season pickup by the Giants back in 2009, working a 4-1 record as a starter in six games pitched (41.2 IP) including one complete game, a 2.59 ERA and a 9/20 BB/K ratio. He would certainly be a nice addition to the bullpen as a long reliever or emergency starter if necessary, and is a veteran pitcher with a solid resume not a Fresno call-up, though Bruce Bochy has seemed to go away from his veteran-heavy rosters of yesteryear (somewhat due to injuries).
Penny has had his share of injuries in his career, and I know there's some folks just dying to see Heath Hembree in a Giants uniform this season, but Penny could provide some needed stability to the bullpen without having to shake the confidence of an up-and-comer, and could be signed pretty cheaply as well.
But who knows, it may just be the year of the Grizzlies for the Giants, calling up anyone and everyone to play stop-gap the rest of the season.
For more on the Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles.
