Fresh from an impressive showing in
the final month, Penny was close to a $7.5 million, one-year contract
with the St. Louis Cardinals, a person familiar with the talks told The
Associated Press on Monday.
The deal is contingent on the
31-year-old righty passing a physical, said the person, who spoke on
condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet final.
Penny recently turned down a one-year
offer to stay with San Francisco. The two-time All-Star quickly drew
interest from the NL Central champion Cardinals, facing the loss of
free-agent pitchers Joel Pineiro, John Smoltz and Todd Wellemeyer.
Penny went a combined 11-9 with a
4.88 ERA in 30 starts for Boston and the Giants. He won a career-high
16 games in 2006 and 2007 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was an
All-Star both seasons. He was slowed by shoulder trouble in 2008.
The Red Sox signed Penny to a $5
million, one-year contract during the last offseason. He never found
his rhythm with Boston and went 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA.
Penny went 1-6 in his last 11 starts
for the Red Sox, and they cut him in late August. He joined the Giants,
who were still in the wild-card race, on Aug. 31 and found his old form
back in the National League.
Penny was 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in six
starts for San Francisco. He is 105-84 lifetime and won twice for
Florida in its 2003 World Series victory over the Yankees.
The Cardinals won their division
behind big years from aces Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright and a
fine season from Pineiro. Smoltz made seven starts after being released
by Boston and Wellemeyer made 21 starts during an injury-interrupted
season.