The Cubs wagered $10 million that Carlos Pena would return to 2009 form while playing in Wrigley Field, but after going 0-for-4 on Thursday, he’s out of the lienup for the third time in six games Friday.
Unlike the previous times he sat, this time it’s happening against a right-hander, Arizona’s Armando Galarraga to be specific.
Pena is hitting .159 and has just one extra-base hit in 63 at-bats. As usual, he’s walking a lot, giving him a .289 OBP. However, he’s also fanned 23 times and none of his usual power has showed up.
In 2010, Pena had one of the best seasons ever for a sub-.200 hitter, finishing with a .196/.325/.407 line, 28 homers and 84 RBI in 484 at-bats for the Rays. Of course, the Cubs were expecting better than that. Because of his power and patience, he was a well above average regular while hitting .227 in 2009. However, with his power seemingly dwindling, even if he gets his average back up to .230-.240, he may no longer be much of an asset.
The Cubs will have to figure something out soon, because Pena is a huge liability as is. Creating a reason to stash him on the DL and then getting him regular at-bats in the minors for a couple of weeks would be ideal. If they go that route, then Jeff Baker and Tyler Colvin would likely share time at first base.