Blue Jays have hard on for Carlos Pena

I mean in hard for Carlos Pena. That's as far I'll take the joke, I promise.

According to Gordon Edes of ESPN, the Jays are interested in free-agent first baseman Carlos Pena. Far be it from me to endorse any idea that involves signing an aging, declining first baseman who last year hit below the Mendoza line and had an OBP of .325, but fuck it, I'm going to do just that. First I'm going to give you the bad, then I'll try to explain why I don't think it's the worst idea I've ever heard.

• He hit .196 last year, and as mentioned had an OBP of .325
• Of the 582 plate appearances he only had 95 hits. 28 of which were homeruns.
• His production has decreased in each of the last four years
• The Jays need OBP not more homeruns
• He's a Scott Boras client

Now for my argument...I like to think of Carlos Pena as this year's Adrian Beltre. I mentioned that one of the bad things about Carlos Pena is that he is a Scott Boras client, but maybe this ONE time it could work in a team's favour. Adrian Beltre was coming off terrible years in Seattle finishing his final year there with a .265/.304/.379 slash line and 8 homeruns. Boras advised Beltre to sign a one year deal (worth $9 million) with the Red Sox, confident that he could improve on his recent stats in order to garner a huge contract the following year. Look how that one worked out. Beltre is also highly valued for his glove, just as Pena is, meaning that his value is not strictly attributed to his bat.

I'd be very comfortable in signing Pena to a one year contract and let him play his ass off for his next longer term contract (presumably hopefully signing somewhere other than Toronto).  I realize last year was a contract year as well, and things didn't quite work out roses for Pena, but maybe whatever Boras did or said to Beltre last year can have the same effect on Carlos.

The other issue this potential acquisition brings up, is where would this leave Adam Lind and the ManRam (fuck, this post is full of gay innuendo) lobyists. I actually don't see this as a bad thing. Remember the Jays did acquire Rajai Davis to presumably be a defensive replacement/pinch runner/occasional lead off hitter? Well what about playing Lind in left field, Manny at DH and Carlos Pena at first? It could possibly be the worst fucking defensive outfield in the history of baseball with Lind/Wells/Snider patrolling out there, but god damn would it be fun to watch! And besides, I'm thinking the upgrade defensively at first (Pena over Lind) is worth the downgrade in left field if Lind were stuck there. The other solution is to scrap the Manny idea, play Lind at DH and Pena at 1B.

Either way there are a tonne of question marks with any of these moves, but I wouldn't discount the possibility of Carlos Pena in a Jays uniform just yet.