The Texas Rangers are playing well at the moment, but they could still use a boost to a lineup that is void of any and all power outside of Adrian Beltre and is struggling to score runs, despite their 14-run outburst on Monday night.
On Tuesday, the Rangers went to the dumpster heap to try to strike gold by signing 36-year-old Carlos Pena to a minor-league, low-risk deal and assigning him to Triple-A Round Rock.
Pena is an all-or-nothing hitter, famous for his lofty home run totals and basement-level batting average, though he does have a tendency to draw high walk totals. He hasn't played in the big leagues this year after being released by the Los Angeles Angels in spring training after playing for Houston last year with a quick stint in Kansas City that yielded no hits in three plate appearances.
Chances are, Pena's good days are long gone, as he hit just eight homers and batted .209 in 85 games with Houston a year ago, but in 2012 with the Rays he hit 19 bombs with a .197 batting average. He led the league with 39 homers in 2009 and hit 46 in 2007 — back when people were hitting a lot more home runs than they do now (draw your own conclusions).
So yeah, the more likely outcome from this deal is that Pena becomes another Manny Ramirez — a past-his-prime power bat who can't hit Triple-A pitching, much less big-league pitching. But there is a shot, and at this point, any shot with low risk is worth taking for the Rangers.
