Wily Mo Pena might be headed to Japan to revive career – MLB Update
It seems that slugger Wily Mo Pena’s stint in Major League Baseball is coming to a halt and he may rightly be headed to play in Nippon League in Japan as early as the next season. He has been on a roller coaster ride since his debut in the Majors, starting
off forcefully but then becoming a folly at the hands of top-quality pitchers.
2011 was not as productive for Pena as he would have hoped, managing to feature in a total of just 39 games for two different franchises. He represented the Arizona Diamondbacks before changing alliance to the Seattle Mariners this past season and then finally
concluding that this is not where he wants to be.
Rumours are rife that Pena is close to signing a deal with Softbank Hawks in the Japanese League, where he will attempt to regain his form as well as fitness. It is anticipated that Wily might use this time to revitalise himself in a bid to resurface in
the big league. Nevertheless, with the amount of talent present in MLB, only an exceptional performance in the Far East will be useful in helping him earn a spot with a ballclub in Major League Baseball.
Pena has, nonetheless, earned a name for himself as a quality slugger who can destroy any pitcher on his day. Pena’s home-runs are not marginal and easily clear the first few rows of the stands. However, he had lost his touch of late and chances of regaining
form against top-quality pitchers are on the lower side.
2004 saw Pena stamp his authority on the plate, smashing 26 home-runs for the Cincinnati Reds as a 22-year old. However, his form began to deteriorate thereafter and, leading to him becoming an independent baseball player before signing with the San Diego
Padres in 2010. During this period, he had stints with Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals, indicating that talent is not an issue with the hard-hitting player.
Another factor that Pena might have considered before picking Japan as an option would have been the monetary issue. A two-year five-million-dollar deal will suffice Pena as well as his pocket.
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