<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Carlos Pena agrees to terms with Astros. One year, $2.9 million, plus $1.4 million in incentives. <a href="http://t.co/dKXx0u26" title="http://cbsprt.co/U7yu1R">cbsprt.co/U7yu1R</a></p>— DKnobler (@DKnobler) <a href="https://twitter.com/DKnobler/status/280728365437169664" data-datetime="2012-12-17T17:37:12+00:00">December 17, 2012</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Carlos Pena? 600 ABs, .197 BA (Mario Mendoza says hello), .684 OPS, 19 HRs, 34 years old, 225 lb. Meh. $2.9 large doesn't buy much.
This doesn't seem like a luhnow move, sign a guy with solid HR numbers but nothing else. Pena sucks by any measurement and will soon turn 35 no reason to think bounceback. This also almost assures no Berkman. Really hate this move, first time I've said that about a Luhnow move. Would rather see Freiman, J.D., and Wallace platoon the D.H. position than give PA's and money on this guy. Maybe he'll surprise and post numbers close to 2011, but he has sucked 2 of the last 3 years. I understand to vet you can maybe flip at the deadline, but Hafner or Puma would have been better IMO, must have been asking too much.
Don't understand. Isn't Wallace the 1st baseman when the season starts and JD is an outfielder with a starting job? DH gets a lot of at bats. There's a chance Pena bounces back to be somewhat respectable. .230 with good power and walks. That's something that could be flipped at the deadline to a team that needs power to replace an injured player or something.
Seems like a move that could have waited until January or early Feb to see if a deal with Berkman could have been done. What's the hurry?
Hate the signing. I don't understand it at all. Castor, can you move these Pena posts to a new thread?
Astros could have signed Jason Lane a heck of alot cheaper to do the exact same thing Pena will: strike out alot and hit 10 to 15 home runs...
Pena is a move just to say they did something. They hope he rebounds and can be dealt at the deadline. They just don't want to lose 125 games.
I agree, $5 mil sounds about right for Berkman. The puzzling thing is, that's close to what Pena will be getting (if he reaches incentives). Would have made more sense to sign Berkman for that money assuming his knee is in decent shape. (And the reports i've read are that Luhnow hadn't even had his planned December meeting with Berkman yet). This feels like an Ed Wade type of move, unfortunately..
Didn't want Pena and do not want Puma... this isnt 2005. Play the young guys and not waste at bats on players that will be retired by the time the Astros are a .500% team.
I'm no scout, but Pena signing seems mind bogglingly stupid. Old, hitting 197 and striking out like crazy = 2.9 mil from Stros. Gross.
As to your bolded statement: So, . . . what's the problem? If Pena hits all his incentives (and gets a total of $4.3 million next year), wouldn't that be about what you'd HOPE to get from Berkman? (I have no idea what the incentives are but assume they'd correspond with him being a very good DH.) And with Berkman, you'd likely have to pay him more and not get most of his contract value incentive-based. That said, I'm not exactly in love with this move. A whole lot of "meh" there.
It's only a 1-year deal, which is fine with me. He does serve some purpose as a bridge to Jonathan Singleton. Besides, is he really robbing playing time from some can't-miss prospects like Brett Wallace and J.D. Martinez? I don't expect the 2007 Carlos Pena, who hit 46 home runs. If he's got a line like, say.... .240/20/70 by the trade deadline, they could flip him for prospects.
there's some built-in upside with potential to be flipped at deadline. not sure why anybody is freaking out over his contract. we have an infinitesimal payroll, and it's not like pena's salary is precluding us from spending money anywhere else, now or in the future. and it's not coming out of our (the fans') pockets. for those freaking out about berkman: this move spells out pretty clearly that he wasn't coming here. if they could have gotten him/he wanted to come here for anything close to the same price, he would be an astro.
