Brad Penny thinks it's going to be him.
According to a Boston.com report by Nick Cafardo, Penny told a White Sox pitcher that he believes he's going to be released by the Red Sox.
Penny has already lost his spot in the rotation after youngster Junichi Tazawa outperformed the veteran against the Yankees over the weekend.
Though no reason is given for Penny's belief, he may not be correct. With rosters expanding to 40 players on Sept. 1, the Red Sox have options. For one, Tim Wakefield is no guarantee to remain healthy, and his start on Wednesday will determine if he can stay with the team or return to the DL.
Another less likely option would be to option Tazawa to Triple-A until Sept. 1, though he is scheduled to start on Thursday.
However, the impending depth set to join the Red Sox in the form of Daisuke Matsuzaka and Paul Byrd in early September only decreases the value of Penny in the bullpen.
Following the Red Sox' 3-2 win over the White Sox on Wednesday night, Cafardo reported that a small, yet significant group of the Sox brass met with the veteran righty, who took off before talking to reporters:
"After the game, the Sox brass, which included owner John Henry, general manager Theo Epstein, director of baseball operations Brian O'Halloran and Terry Francona met with Penny before Francona's postgame press conference. Penny then chatted briefly with Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick and left without speaking."
