Is Penn still hurt...

[oriole_way]

or is he still recovering from injury? What specifically was his injury last year? I honestly don't remember and the minor league profile isn't very specific.

The reason I ask is because I don't understand why he is struggling at AAA. He reached AAA in 2006 and pitched pretty well there, although it was only over 87.2 innings over 14 starts (but that's still a good half season in the minors). And his K rate is way down this year (5.59). Over his minor league career, his K rate is 8.28 and it was 8.73 in Ottawa in 2006.

I could understand if he never panned out in the majors, since not every minor league prospect pans out. However, he had previously demonstrated success at AA and AAA, so I would think that he'd be performing a bit better at Norfolk.

Thoughts?

[Gurgi]

I dont know. Less magic Wheaties?

Honestly apparently lots of minor leaguers keep getting suspended. Something like more than one a week.

[glenn__davis]

I believe Penn has a lot of rust to shake off. He's missed major parts of the last few seasons with injuries. If he is able to regain his form that made him our top prospect, it's probably going to take some time.

[vab]

I don't know what his situation is with options but if he's on his last one, they better think about moving him if he starts pitching better. You don't want to go into next spring with him having little or no time in the majors this year (which now looks likely) and out of options.

[Crazysilver03]

I don't know what his situation is with options but if he's on his last one, they better think about moving him if he starts pitching better. You don't want to go into next spring with him having little or no time in the majors this year (which now looks likely) and out of options.

Option Years

Penn, Hayden

Options Remaining: 0/4 (Currently using fourth option year).

Story: The Orioles purchased his contract on 5/26/2005. Penn was optioned to the minors for the first time on 7/1/2005. Penn was optioned to the minors for a second time on 3/22/2006. Penn was optioned to the minors for a third time on 3/25/2007. Penn only pitched 40 professional innings in 2007 due to injury, with most of them coming in September. Penn was optioned to the minors for a fourth and final time on March 13th 2008.

[Anonymous]

I don't know what his situation is with options but if he's on his last one, they better think about moving him if he starts pitching better. You don't want to go into next spring with him having little or no time in the majors this year (which now looks likely) and out of options.

As disappointing as Penn's performance has been to many of us, the idea of trading him has never held much appeal to me.

Trading him now would be a classic sell-at-his-trough situation. We'd get next to nothing for him -- and the idea of packaging him with others doesn't help, as his INCREMENTAL value is also worth next-to-nothing.

Trading him if he STARTS pitching better is more logical, I concede. But even then, do you think that a couple of decent performances will mostly erase the concerns that have built up during his times of struggle, such that all of a sudden his value skyrockets. It would help a little, but only a little, unless he demonstrates some sustained success the rest of the year and then carries it into Spring training. Only in that case does he become a valuable trade chip, and one that COULD be tradeable -- but also one that COULD be worth retaining if he finally looks like the Hayden Penn of old. But at least there'd be a legitimate decision to be made, whereas at this point, his value is just way too low for it to be worth much thought.

[mikezpen]

...if he's healthy...

[Anonymous]

Really do not understand the dissapointment... you don't think after basically 2 years off, it might take awhile to find the consistency that made you a top-prospect to begin with?

There were plenty of reasons to believe the start of his 2008 year might be a struggle, and there is every reason to believe the 23 year-old will regain his his earlier form as the year moves forward.

At least in my case, Chris, the disappointment is that his performance this year is worse than I had HOPED for -- not necessarily what I realistically should have expected. I'm still eagerly awaiting the time when he turns the corner (and REALLY hope that it happens by OD 2009, or else we have a major challenge on our hands).

[JTrea81]

It's time to stop making excuses for Penn and realize he's just not going to make it as a starting pitcher. He just doesn't have the mental makeup to succeed. Now the bullpen might be a place to try him.

I think we'll try to sneak him through waivers, but it's very possible we could lose him the way the Indians lost Guthrie.

[33rdst]

Did you see the conditions under which he had to pitch the other night. It was easily as bad as what Cabrera faced in Chicago. Let the guy pitch for half a season then make a judgement. Hanging on every start only gets you heartburn.

[DocJJ]

We don't want him to become some other team's Jeremy Guthrie.

....or JOHN MAINE!

Remember Maine had a brief trial with the O's and failed. When he was sent back to AAA, he struggled terribly which surprised many of us. He dominated AA, was good enough to have a try with the O's....why was he struggling at AAA? Eventually we decided he was a failed prospect and traded him for Kris Benson. "Suckers!" we all thought.

Only look who's laughing now!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7386

:cussing:

[bigbird]

We don't want him to become some other team's Jeremy Guthrie.

....or JOHN MAINE!

Remember Maine had a brief trial with the O's and failed. When he was sent back to AAA, he struggled terribly which surprised many of us. He dominated AA, was good enough to have a try with the O's....why was he struggling at AAA? Eventually we decided he was a failed prospect and traded him for Kris Benson. "Suckers!" we all thought.

Only look who's laughing now!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7386

:cussing:

He has a better chance becoming Matt Riley than he does becoming another John Maine.

[DrungoHazewood]

He has a better chance becoming Matt Riley than he does becoming another John Maine.

So does everyone.

[DrungoHazewood]

It's time to stop making excuses for Penn and realize he's just not going to make it as a starting pitcher. He just doesn't have the mental makeup to succeed. Now the bullpen might be a place to try him.

I think we'll try to sneak him through waivers, but it's very possible we could lose him the way the Indians lost Guthrie.

You know that he's 23, right? I'd bet 1/3 of all Hall of Fame pitchers didn't have a major league win at 23. There are Hall of Fame pitchers who didn't make their major league debut until they were six or seven years older than Penn.

Making a blanket statement that he's never going to be a major league pitcher is premature at best. Just like with Jeremy Guthrie. When Guthrie was Penn's age he'd never thrown a professional pitch, much less a major league one.

[rolliefingers]

It's time to stop making excuses for Penn and realize he's just not going to make it as a starting pitcher. He just doesn't have the mental makeup to succeed. Now the bullpen might be a place to try him.

I think we'll try to sneak him through waivers, but it's very possible we could lose him the way the Indians lost Guthrie.

This might be the most reactionary, ill-informed post you've ever made, and that's saying something.