The winter meetings are expected to conclude soon and while there is a rush to get things done on the front of the free agency, teams are making headway, in their bid to sign the right players to their respective rosters.
The chase is on by a great measure. Thirty teams from the National League and the American League are making the right adjustments in their formations. Restructuring is a necessity which is being paid a lot of attention to in recent days and one other club
has made a change, recently.
The Chicago Cubs have been reeling from Derrek Lee’s move out of the club in August. They were spoiled by the first baseman to a considerable degree. Now there has been a solution to the problem and it has come in the form of Carlos Pena. The veteran first
baseman entered the free agency lately and was in need of new home, after the Tampa Bay Rays refused to sign him on for another year. He has now turned to the Cubs and his signing will strengthen the side considerably.
Pena is set to compete as Cubs-man for a year under his contract. His reward will be a $10 million salary package. Pena was weak last season but is expected to add depth and leadership to a side that needs uplifting. The player will be teaming up with some
strong men in the batting order and confidence will come as the regular season starts in April.
Chicago Cubs General Manager, Jim Hendry was available to comment on the player. He said, "Even with the batting average where it was, you're looking at 28 home runs (in 2010), and look at the people who are signing long-term, multi-year contracts are hitting
less than that."
Hendry went on to say, "It's not a gamble, it's a real good fit. We haven't had a lot of left-handed power. That's why I say the (Ryan) Howards, the (Mark) Teixeiras, the Adrian Gonzalezs - those people who put up power at that position either stay where
they're at or sign huge lucrative long-term deals. Thirty six home runs a year for four years is huge."
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