Cubs sign Carlos Pena

How does a guy who hit .196 last year get a 10 Million dollar deal? Better yet, how does someone with a career .246 BA get a 10 million dollar deal? Can he pitch too?

Jim Hendry just keeps getting worse. Terrible team that has needs everywhere and you got out and sign a mediocre aging First Baseman to a 10 Million Dollar deal. Hendry has absolutely no sense.

I’m happy with the decision. I’m predicting a bounce back year for him, especially being a power hitting left, hitting at Wrigley, and feasting off weaker NL Central pitching. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit 30+ homeruns. I do think the Cubs paid too much, but I’m happy it’s only a 1 year deal. Pena has a lot to prove, and if he has fully recovered from plantar fasciitis I think he’ll have a great year.

The money makes me wanna vomit and Pena makes me wanna vomit even more. This offseason keeps getting worse and worse.. Hendry is about to lose me as a somewhat supporter.

This deal is almost unforgivable, the only saving grace being its length and (hopefully) not all of it is guaranteed.

It seems clear to me that Hendry/Ricketts have acknowledged 2011 as a lost season — build a decent team, but not one that puts us in position to seriously contend. With all the money coming off the books after 2011, they better make a big splash to make this so far crappy offseason worth it.

wonder if this means Fukudome is set up to be dealt….would help clear money for Pena.

Ten mil is too much but as someone stated, it was probably a trade off to get Pena signed for only a season. Hope this doesn’t mean we still don’t pursue Davis. Nice young back-up (or longer-term) plan…

I thought he seemed like a near perfect fit for you guys.

and one guy says something like " I guarantee he won’t hit under .200 next year" . That is comforting.

 I am not being snarky here, just curious. I am assuming Lee gets a smaller contract.

It gets us a bridge to 2012 with minimal risk. It leaves us open for signing Fielder or, dare we hope, Gonzalez or Pujols next off-season. Other first basemen looking at big arbitration awards may be available for trade too. (Votto? Although I doubt the Reds would trade him to us.)

People who are looking at Pena’s batting average are missing the point. He gets on base and he hits for power. He’s also good defensively.

This isn’t a slam dunk—he’s certainly on the wrong side of 30 and he is coming off a bad year. His OBP has declined four straight seasons. He could continue to decline, although he led the AL in HRs just a year ago. so it’s not like his other stats have been declining as well. But thats why we got him for 1 and ten and not what Adam Dunn got.

All the talk was he was going to get a two or three year deal which could of been a disaster.

I’d rather we pay overs for one. Getting Davis now would be a bonus.

So that’s nice.

It’s only a year and the Cubs probably would have had to have given LaRoche a longer deal. Also, at least Pena has a chance to put up huge numbers while we are all but guaranteed league average numbers from LaRoche.

Not sure what people were expecting. I thought Colvin was gonna have to play first. For a one year deal, who cares? The guy is a great defender and he’ll be super motivated. I think he’ll have a really nice year personally

When he was with the Tigers, he was a very likable, hard working guy. Good attitude and decent glove. You also have to give him points for hanging around all these years. If he was as bad as some seem to feel he is, he’d been coaching in the minors years ago (or selling Lady Kenmores at Sears).

Carlos Pena won’t put butts in the seats like some of the other names rumored for the last few months, but he’ll get the Cubs to 2012 and won’t be an embarrassment doing it. Actually, I think he’ll be a pleasant surprise for Cubs fans and he’ll grow to be a fan favorite in 2011.

I’m not sure which is the bigger head scratcher: that Scott Boras got Pena $10M or that it was only a one year contract.

that doesn’t involve multiple years and the dreaded NTC. Though $10M seems a touch much. Oh wait, I forgot to throw in the Boras factor (25%).

Otherwise $10 million is just way too much.

next would of been LaRoche, now this.
 The talk of a bounce back year. He will have to add 50+ points on average, 25-30 points on OBP all coming into a new league. Good luck on that. The only benefit of this deal is one year. Now, did the Cubs spend all of the cash in the cookie jar? Any nickles and dimes left for bullpen help?
 I hope Hendry will not be back next year.

Damn it.

There is big number potential here from someone who has done it before, plus he is in a contract year and could be flipped if needed at mid season.

LaRoche would not have been the best move.

3 cheers for Jim Hendry!

…I can’t fault a one-year deal in an attempt to get better. If the guy is back to good health, he can contribute. If not, well, it’s not like the 2011 team was a WS-contending monster to start with.

Are they gonna platoon Baker and Dewitt? What’s the plan there?

It’s a good pickup and at least leaves the door open for Fielder (or another elite 1b if they’re not extended) next year. Will be nice to have some legit power from the left side.

All jokes aside, I like the signing of Pena quite a bit. He was my top choice.

But 10M is an absolute joke. And if it’s just a one year deal, at that much money, why the hell is there not a club option for the second year?

Seems like, once again, Hendry wound up the loser in the negotiation.

Busy overnight, I see. My thoughts and continued discussion on the front page.

undoubtedly will have a better year offensively and has always been a very good defender. If he has a good year, maybe they keep him round for a couple more years. If not, hopefully they will have the financial wherewithall to get a proven commodity for 2012 via FA or trade.

I don’t like the Chris Davis idea.

I’ll be the first to admit that my input is nothing but message board gossip, but I’m a Cubs fan living in the DFW area. I have acquaintances who spend leisure time with Chris Davis when he’s in town with the Rangers.

As a Cub fan, I don’t like the idea of investing in the guy. I’ll leave it at that.

From a statistical perspective, I don’t see Davis inspiring hope in his team’s fanbase. If a team is going to take a flyer on a sub-.200 batting average, I’d rather have Pena’s clubhouse presence and upside over Davis’ um… intangibles.

Let’s see if Pena can earn a long-term stay at Wrigley.

But love the 1-year deal.

Tons of cash coming off the books after ‘11. Next year we’ll see a real offseason. We can’t hope for much this year aside from some trades.

The Cubs paid $10 million for a guy with a .241 career batting average, had foot problems most of last season, and who hit .196 last season. Enough said there.

Meanwhile, the White Sox signed Adam Dunn for just a few more million annually than Pena (after crying about having no money), re-signed Paul Konerko, and seem to want to win. And they have a lower payroll.

Why waste $10 million on a player that isn’t going to have any impact? The Cubs have sat for most of the offseason watching the better players sign and the contenders place bids on or make trades for players who would actually make a difference. We re-signed Jeff Baker and offered arbitration to Koyie Hill while we continue to shop a helpful pitcher like Tom Gorzellany. Hey, that’ll shave more money off the already lowered payroll if we got rid of him and his “huge” salary!

Since guys like this are going to be our “big signing” of the offseasons, they mine as well just play all minor leaguers and what players we have already and save their money for future years. Not that I have any confidence that it will be used towards the payroll. Look, we shaved over $25 million off the payroll this year from Lee, Nady, Lilly, and Theriot alone so what do we do? Lower the payroll to compensate and cry poor.

So keep raising the ticket prices, sitting on the sidelines, and have fun watching the real teams play in the postseason every year. Cubs fans oughta get used to it.

…maybe I’m just in a good mood but I’m going to, marginally, defend this move.

Ten million DOES seem like a lot for an aging player coming off of an injury but I was in a semi panic that we were going to go into the season with Colvin or, some have suggested, Fonzi (shudder) as our best first base options.

Also, keep in mind that the might’ve cost more since it was only a one year contract (I thought I read somewhere that they were seeking two years at 7 million per).

Basically, I see it as low risk-if he has a comeback year, great. If not, at least his contract will be off the books a year from now (and we’ll hopefully have a new GM pulling the strings).

Wow! I thought the Cubs didn’t have any money to spend?

Still, since it is a one year deal… i don’t think too much bad about it. I’m more shocked because I have gotten to where i don’t believe much of ANYTHING Hendry says anymore.

I do realize that it prolly took 10 million to shut Boras up, and to get him to sign a simple 1 year deal. The one year deal may motivate Pena to have a good year… if he doesn’t, people will be crapping on Hendry for making another bad signing.

I can’t help but wonder if the Cubs would have been better off re-signed DLee for less, and then using some of that 10 million to bring in some pitching help, or bench help, or just help elsewhere. But, I know Hendry is done with Lee, Wood, and all of those guys we fall in love with.

a solid player!Just another re-tread the Cubs always fall in love with!Maybe a fresh start and different hitting coach will help?Time will tell?

but it’s difficult to argue with it cause it’s low risk (one year), with some decent upside. Hopefully, Rudy can do something about his total hit production. 2011 is pretty much a wasted year anyways.

Tom Ricketts is just another in a long line of crappy Cubs owners.

that is all .. as usual, we’re all asked to have a lotta hope that a struggling power hitter will come around and save the day with the Cubs in a new and frightening post-Lee era. I think Pena can bounce back, but hey after all Jeff Davis is ready.

At least Jim’s learning to limit his irrational exuberance down to 1 year .. course with the loss of the Horseshoe Casino income, we must hope for the best ..