Cubs to sign .196 hitter for $10 million

[Da Coach]

The Cubs have reportedly signed free agent 1st baseman Carlos Pe?±a to a 1 year contract for $10 million. Pena hit a miserable .196 last season with the Tampa Bay Rays. He did hit 28 HR and had 84 RBI. His best season was 2007 when he hit .282 with 46 HR and 121 RBI. His career average is only .241. He is a pretty good fielding 1st baseman, but he also strikes out a lot.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/12/pena-fills-the-bill-for-cubs.html

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Chicago-Cubs-sign-Carlos-Pena-one-year-free-agent-deal-MLB-rumors-news-120710

Is this a good deal? For a few dollars more, they could have resigned Derrick Lee.

Carlos Pe?±a career stats-

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/penaca01.shtml

ESPN is not reporting that this deal is done yet.

[OrangeandBlack74]

ESPN is not reporting that this deal is done yet.

Now they are...

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5898142

[Beninator]

Understand to a degree where you are coming from with DLee, but I was hoping that the Cubs would go after Adrian Gonzalez. Pena had a .325 obp to go along with his .196 average and as you said he is a good fielder. With this deal, Pena is clearly positioning himself for a big payday after this year so maybe he will have a salary drive type of year.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/penaca01.shtml

I was afraid that the Cubs would shell out big money for Adam Dunn. Dunn is a worse fielder and last year had an obp of .356 with a .260 average. IMO Dunn is a good fit as a DH with the Sox. I don't expect the Cubs to do much next year so I am fine with taking a one year chance on Pena and prefer Pena to Dunn.

[dogsrus]

Understand to a degree where you are coming from with DLee, but I was hoping that the Cubs would go after Adrian Gonzalez. Pena had a .325 obp to go along with his .196 average and as you said he is a good fielder. With this deal, Pena is clearly positioning himself for a big payday after this year so maybe he will have a salary drive type of year.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/penaca01.shtml

I was afraid that the Cubs would shell out big money for Adam Dunn. Dunn is a worse fielder and last year had an obp of .356 with a .260 average. IMO Dunn is a good fit as a DH with the Sox. I don't expect the Cubs to do much next year so I am fine with taking a one year chance on Pena and prefer Pena to Dunn.

Good fit for DH but don't they plan on playing him in the outfield....?

[thefish7]

I always have wanted to really like Carlos Pena, all the back to when he was a minor leaguer with the... Tigers, I think? Anyway, he never quite seems to deliver on all his potential.

[Da Coach]

I guess what surprises me is the $10 million that the Cubs are willing to pay Carlos Pe?±a. He had the lowest batting average in the major leagues last year (among players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title). That kind of performance used to be worthy of an out right release, or at most a minor league offer. Now it's worth $10 million a year, more money than most people make in their entire lifetime.
I realize the Cubs are banking on him rebounding with a better year next year more like 2007. But if you look at his career stats, it appears that 2007 might have been the aberrancy. It was the only season he batted over .253. His career average is only .241, and the Cubs fans are not going to like his average of 171 strikeouts per 162 games.

By the way, here are the available free agents by position. Is there a better option for the Cubs here?

http://www.sportscity.com/mlb/2011-mlb-free-agents/

[Da Coach]

The White Sox re-signed their first baseman Paul Konerko for 3 years at $12.5 million per year.

And the Cubs are interested in signing free agent pitcher Matt Garza.

[Chico]

I guess what surprises me is the $10 million that the Cubs are willing to pay Carlos Pe?±a. He had the lowest batting average in the major leagues last year (among players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title). That kind of performance used to be worthy of an out right release, or at most a minor league offer. Now it's worth $10 million a year, more money than most people make in their entire lifetime.
I realize the Cubs are banking on him rebounding with a better year next year more like 2007. But if you look at his career stats, it appears that 2007 might have been the aberrancy. It was the only season he batted over .253. His career average is only .241, and the Cubs fans are not going to like his average of 171 strikeouts per 162 games.

By the way, here are the available free agents by position. Is there a better option for the Cubs here?
http://www.sportscity.com/mlb/2011-mlb-free-agents/

The real strikeout king is Mark Reynolds who the D'Backs shipped to Baltimore. His batting average wasn't as high as his total K's this past season. Good fielder though and has tremendous power.

[Dubl R 1]

Cubs are a mess

[thefish7]

I honestly don't care about strikeouts... Particularly out of a power hitter. I usually don't care about batting average much but that ones low enough to affect production dramatically.

[Beninator]

Good fit for DH but don't they plan on playing him in the outfield....?

The only thing that I have read is that Dunn made a late concession to be a DH to play for a winner. He also stated that he would play any position asked of him.

[BuBraves55]

The White Sox re-signed their first baseman Paul Konerko for 3 years at $12.5 million per year.

And the Cubs are interested in signing free agent pitcher Matt Garza.

All Star LAST year for 12.5/3 whereas Cubs get Pena who is looks to be an Andruw Jones Jr. for 10/1. Hmm.

[Beninator]

I don't agree with this article, but this Sun Times writer suggests Pena for now and Pujols for later....

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/2751466-419/pena-cubs-season-carlos-meetings.html?utm_source=bleacherreport.com

[Da Coach]

It makes a bit of sense. That was likely one of the reasons for just a 1-year committment to Carlos Pe?±a.
Other writers have propsed that possibility-

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/12/08/cubs-1-year-commitment-to-carlos-pena-keeps-albert-pujols-possi/?synd=1

And here is a blogger I recalled from before this past season, almost a year ago, who proposed the scenario where the Cubs would go after Albert Pujols. Some of what he suggested has already come true- The Cubs getting rid of Derrick Lee, Ted Lilly, and then the Cubs allowing the contracts of Fukudome and Silva to expire after the 2011 season. And now the Pe?±a contract would expire, too, after 2011. So maybe it is not so far-fetched.

http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2010/1/6/1235879/lets-dream-shall-we-how-albert

[bugregshu]

The Carlos Pena deal is good for the Cubs for a few reasons. The Cubs are notorious for handing out lengthy backloaded contracts, and this 1-year deal is quite refreshing. When was the last time anyone saw the cubs give a 1-year deal? Sure, 10-mil is a lot of money, but with Dunn and Gonzalez off the table, and with the Cubs having a gaping hole at 1B, who else were we going to get?

Pena is also a former silver slugger, and a lefty. How long have the Cubs been looking for a middle-of-the-order lefty with some pop? Too long. Sure, he hit .196 last year, but still managed an above .300 OBP and hit 28 homeruns in what has been the worst season of his career. I'll take my chances on a comeback.

He is also one of the best defensive first basemen in the league, which is always a plus in my book. And perhaps the most important thing is that he is a fun guy and a positive clubhouse influence. God knows the Cubs need all the positivity they can get in the clubhouse. So I feel like with all of these other factors, Cubs fans should be able to look past his low batting average.