but to many, swing and misses.

I’ve got to have a first baseman, who hits at least .240. Is that too much to ask? Sure, I like the HR’s and the walks. He played plus defense at first base. I’m not beholden to batting average almighty. In fact, I’d rather have a Carlos Pena-type than a Bill Buckner-type. There’s come a point to where a low batting average can be too low to be acceptable.

Pena’s OBP was pretty good. If he could pick up the average….and, of course, he had a good glove. I have no complaints with the season he turned in. It was to be expected.

Probably around, what, $12 mil?

And I liked his time here and was surprised to see him in Moneyball, which is not near the top, but is maybe one of my favorite all time movies.

Pena was a competent player, but nothing more than a stopgap.

And, IIRC, if they did go to arbitration, the most the Cubs could lower his salary is 20%… which would’ve been $8M.

With that said, it is rather hard to believe that his numbers would warrant a salary reduction through the arbitration process.

So IMO… Pena got bad advice. His agent (presumably) cost him probably $3M. Though he does now have a chance at the playoffs. So there’s that.

speaks volumes for last year’s team right there.

because he’s never come across as anything but a fairly level headed person, at least while he was in Chicago anyway.

We’re not talking about Lee, Sosa, or Ramirez though, where it’s like they don’t show up until May sometimes. He was never going to be much better than his career averages, and spending $10+ million on a player like that was always a Hendry-ass idea. That money would be better spent elsewhere and I’m glad it finally is.

.235/.367/.505 with 28 HR and 75 RBI … in 130 games from May 1 to the end of the season.

Also, hit .255/.388/.504 with 21 HR and 61 RBI in 460 PA against RHP.

If the Rays get that kind of production out of him, they’ll be very happy.

… Boras should probably advise Fielder to take a one-year deal somewhere and hit the FA market again next offseason.

… obviously referring to the departures of Pena and Aramis Ramirez. Together, they accounted for 36% (54) of the Cubs’ 148 HR in 2011.

I don’t think that the assumption that their replacements will hit ZERO home runs is valid.

Unless there’s, you know, a little something in it for me…?

It’s something Billy Beane wouldn’t have turned his back on — NOW. The sample size on Pena was too small in 2000.

Never thought of that idea, though D-Lee is still unsigned. The Brewers seem committed to Mat Gamel at 1B, though. I suspect D-Lee eventually re-signs with the Pirates, so we’ll see plenty of him this year.