Brayan Pena would play as backup catcher in Detroit – MLB News
According to a leading sports website, the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a one year contract with the backup catcher Brayan Pena. The Tigers have not disclosed the terms of the contract.
Pena had an ordinary time on the mound for Kansas City Royals last season. In 68 games played for the Royals, he hit .236 with two home runs and 25 RBI’s. However, Pena can prove to be an asset considering the fact the regular Alex Avilla has a history of
missing games with various forms of injuries.
Avila missed a large number of games last season as well and it will be interesting to see he can work on his fitness to cement his place on the Tigers’ big league roster.
"He brings us more experience," said Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski, "and gives us more depth in the organization."
Coming back to Pena, the 30 year is famous for his switch hitting abilities and perhaps that is why the Tigers decided to offer him a contract. Manager Jim Leyland and General Manager Dave Dombrowski had been looking for a bat who could hit against the left
handed pitching. Now with Pena in the lineup, they can surely switch their focus to other tasks.
The other candidate for the catching position Bryan Holaday is likely to start his season in Triple A League. Holaday has struggled to give consistent results in his three Major League Baseball seasons. It will be interesting to see if he can learn from
his mistakes to make a strong come back. The 25 year old hit .237 with a .314 on base percentage last season.
Both Holaday and Pena are considered excellent defenders. However, the Tigers had expressed concerns over Holaday’s batting form during the Annual Winter Meetings in Nashville. They wanted to sign someone who could give them offensive contributions along
the lines of what Gerald Laird did for them in the past season, hitting .282 with a .337 on base percentage.
After the post season ended, Laird signed a two contract with the Atlanta Braves that opened up a vacancy in Detroit.
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