Another option for CF....Wily Mo Pena

[38Special]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Wily Mo Pena said Saturday that he’s ready to play full time with the team, or they should trade him to another club.

"The best thing they (the Reds) can do is to play me or trade me because I no longer want to be on the bench.....but for next season they are going to have to give me a permanent position or trade me to another team. "

http://thebaseballcube.com/players/P/wily-mo-pena.shtml
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/player...?playerId=4450

Hitting for Power
Rating: EXCELLENT
Notes: Ball Jumps Off His Bat With Authority. Power To All Fields Especially

Hitting for Average
Rating: AVERAGE - PLUS
Notes: Good Fastball Hitter With A Power Stroke And Bat Speed. Learned To Handle Breaking Balls Better In 2004

Range
Rating: PLUS
Notes: Gets Good Jumps

Arm Accuracy
Rating: PLUS

Arm Strength
Rating: PLUS

Baserunning & Defense

Despite his good size, Pena has above-average speed and should be able to steal in double figures as he gains more experience. He has excellent range and a cannon for a throwing arm, and the Reds think his tools could allow him to play center field, though his experience largely has been in the corner outfield positions.

Ever since we traded him as a prospect, the Reds have never given him a chance to start full time. He struggles with righties at times, and also had nagging wrist injuries during the year which likely dampened his numbers. However, hes 23, can play centerfield, and is likely on the way outs. I think there will be significant interest from us

[I Love Wang]

He's also an out machine. No thanks.

And he has a "PLUS" for hitting for average? His career average is .248!

[Bernie Inferno]

I'm not exactly enamored with his .304 OBP and high strikeout rate.

[noneckwilliams]

Can he handle CF defensively? I'm under the impression that he's more of a corner guy.

[Mark19]

116 Ks in 99 games
+
plays in a shoebox
+
will cost Chacon/Wang + a top prospect

=

no thanks

[Yankyfan]

Again at what cost?

[flymick24]

he's only 23!! he has time to develop plate patience.

his power is ridiculous for someone of his age and thus, quite valuable.

[Mr. Mxylsplk]

I can't imagine he's available at anything remotely approaching a price the yanks are willing to pay.

[shroud]

I read a few weeks ago how the reds had every intention to start the season with their 4 outfielders, but I hope he is available. If nothing else then the higher the supply of available Cf's the lower the asking price has to be for him and other options such as Michaels, Bradley, Wilkerson.

[gold23]

I'd prefer Austin Kearns if he was available.

[Wang's Groundballs]

I'd prefer Austin Kearns if he was available.

Ditto and I think he's the OF on the Reds most likely to be available.

[AMYanks]

Nope. I'd take him as a 4th OFer, but he wants to start.

I agree with the previous posts, I'd take Kearns over Pena.

[gold23]

Kearns is crazy injury prone, but immensely talented. The upside is batting champion-type with solid zone judgement and pretty good defense. Downside is underachieving and injury prone player.

He's still a baby. The interesting thing is that when you look at BR's "similar players at his age", several Hall of Fame and all-star caliber players pop up. Interesting.

[27IsNext]

His career-OBP is less than .310. We already have a low OBP guy in Cano who MAY get better, we don't need another one. Especially if it costs us good, young talent.

[I Love Wang]

His career-OBP is less than .310. We already have a low OBP guy in Cano who MAY get better, we don't need another one. Especially if it costs us good, young talent.

Cano's OBP was 16 points better than Pena's. Cano's was mediocre, but Pena's was TERRIBLE.

[gdn]

I'm not sure he'd be an option to be the starting CF, but a 4th maybe. Then again, Bubba can be a 4th.

Kearns definitely has more potential and if available, should be traded for (at the right price, ofcourse).

[Fabien Brandy]

If Pena were on waivers he'd be worth grabbing as a one-year experiment but he's not good enough to give up in trade what the Reds would want. He had an OPS+ of exactly 100 and has good defensive numbers so he'd be a big upgrade on Crosby.

[Seamonk]

Wily Mo won't come cheap, and you can get a better player for the same chips it would take to get him...

[Euclis]

Cano's OBP was 16 points better than Pena's. Cano's was mediocre, but Pena's was TERRIBLE.

Who knew that 16 points was the difference between mediocre and TERRIBLE

I wouldn't want Pena playing CF. The few games I've seen him play (in RF) he looks slow, and doesn't seem to get a good jump. That's fine for a corner outfielder, but not for a CF.

[yanksconstantino24]

I think Pena is going to be a really good player, but I don't want the Yankees to throw the farm system away for him; he's not that good.

[whalers]

I dont know where the scouting report is coming from. I have seen him play live a few times and he is an adventure in the corner. No way he could play CF at the Stadium.

[BobbyMurcerFan]

I dont know where the scouting report is coming from. I have seen him play live a few times and he is an adventure in the corner. No way he could play CF at the Stadium.

I could not agree more. We need a real CFer, not a converted corner guy.

[Beccash18]

I know this isn't a good scouting report, but I saw Pena play RF this summer in a rehab stint in Syracuse for a leg injury. What I remember most was his constant kneeling in the field to try and stretch out his leg. He was limping out there. Not much longer he was reactivated and returned to the Reds. The other thing was his being struck out, grounded out, and flied out by the pitching of Syracuse, the minor league team of Toronto. I don't remember him ever being on base that day.

[swityak11]

Pena is a corner outfielder. You put him in CF for any lengthy period of time and you're going to learn to hate him. Plus he'll cost an arm and a leg.

Besides, Kearns will likely be the odd man out in that Reds outfield. Or if they can dump Sean Casey and move Dunn to first, they can keep all of them.

[I Love Wang]

Who knew that 16 points was the difference between mediocre and TERRIBLE

I wouldn't want Pena playing CF. The few games I've seen him play (in RF) he looks slow, and doesn't seem to get a good jump. That's fine for a corner outfielder, but not for a CF.

Well, also, keep in mind, that, statistically speaking, the league average hitter in Yankee stadium last year would have had something a .335 OBP. In Cincinatti, the league average hitter would have had a .347. So Cano was at about 96% of league average, while Pena was at about 88%. That's pretty awful.

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

Who knew that 16 points was the difference between mediocre and TERRIBLE

I wouldn't want Pena playing CF. The few games I've seen him play (in RF) he looks slow, and doesn't seem to get a good jump. That's fine for a corner outfielder, but not for a CF.

It is when one is a secondbaseman and one is a corner outfielder(until he proves he can plays center he is a corner outfielder)

[27IsNext]

Cano's OBP was 16 points better than Pena's. Cano's was mediocre, but Pena's was TERRIBLE.

I actually think Cano's will improve. A career .310 OBP scares me to death, even if he is only 23.

[JeterRodriguezSheff]

I actually think Cano's will improve. A career .310 OBP scares me to death, even if he is only 23.

Cano's obp at best will improve to like .340-.350, Which for a secondbaseman who can hit 20 homers a year and wont get a big contract.

[BennyTheJetRodriguez]

Cano's obp at best will improve to like .340-.350, Which for a secondbaseman who can hit 20 homers a year and wont get a big contract.

I think of Cano as a guy who can hit .290-.310 with 20 homers, 40 doubles, and a .340 obp and very few Ks.

[rightfielder21]

I actually think Cano's will improve. A career .310 OBP scares me to death, even if he is only 23.

As do I... What scares me to death is in your sig...

[CaptainThurman]

OK, I'm bumping this because I think it now makes sense to reconsider Wily Mo in the final round of fine-tuning the team before Spring Training.....

First, he's a former Yankee, so Cashman can bring home a farmhand and reverse a bad trade from the past. Also, he's not on a team that has problems dealing with the Yankees, since the Reds have always been fair in working with the Yankees....after all, they were kind enough to rid the team of Tony Womack.

But because of the way the chips have fallen with all the other moves, it now appears like a good idea to add a corner outfielder, especially someone who can give Sheffield and Matsui a lot of plate appearances at DH. Wily Mo has a cannon for an arm and can be a real upgrade over Sheffield in RF. And he can take over RF for good in 2007. He also is pretty good on the bases and has a good work ethic, which should be helpful for fellow Dominican Robinson Cano.

The Reds still have a surplus of outfielders, and they need some pitching. You have a to figure that a package of Wright (or Small), Proctor and Melky should be able to get a discussion going.

[ryanthe13th]

So we'd have Crosby, Bernie, Cairo, Phillips, and Pena? Why would Pena want to come to NY and sit on the bench if he doesn't want to sit on the bench in CIN?

[JeffWeaverFan]

The Reds no longer have a surplus of outfielders. They have Griffey in CF, Wily Mo in RF, and Austin Kearns for LF. Adam Dunn will play 1B. Sean Casey was traded to the Pirates.

In fact, when Griffey goes down again, the Reds will be an OFer short.

[JeffWeaverFan]

So we'd have Crosby, Bernie, Cairo, Phillips, and Pena? Why would Pena want to come to NY and sit on the bench if he doesn't want to sit on the bench in CIN?

He would play everyday and Sheff would DH. Doesn't matter though, as the Reds are no longer looking to trade an outfielder.

[ryanthe13th]

He would play everyday and Sheff would DH. Doesn't matter though, as the Reds are no longer looking to trade an outfielder.

I wouldn't be comfortable with him being an everyday player anyway with those stats.

For the sake of discussion, do you think that the Reds could play Womack in the OF if Griffey goes down?

[hellonewman]

For the sake of discussion, do you think that the Reds could play Womack in the OF if Griffey goes down?

Sure. If they were dumb enough to trade for him, they're dumb enough to play him.

[JeffWeaverFan]

For the sake of discussion, do you think that the Reds could play Womack in the OF if Griffey goes down?

Yeah, either him or Ryan Freel I would imagine. In fact, that's probably the reason they traded for Womack.

[Spiker101]

[QUOTE=ryanthe13th]I wouldn't be comfortable with him being an everyday player anyway with those stats.

QUOTE]

What is it that concerns you? The 116 strikeouts in 311 ABs or the gaudy .304 on-base percentage. Wily Mo Pena, AKA Ruben Rivera.

[The FUTURE]

Maybe for RF....him and Shef could flip flop between RF and DH...I wouldnt mind him hitting 7th in the lineup either...if we could get him for something reasonable...it wouldnt be a bad idea...goood thinking 38special

[ryanthe13th]

Sure. If they were dumb enough to trade for him, they're dumb enough to play him.

I was under the impression that Cincinatti might use him as a bench player or a pinch hitter, but since JWF brought up the Griffey scenario I see he has more use to them than just a spot 2B/pinch hitter/pinch runner.