#Royals avoid arbitration w/ C Brayan Pena, agreeing to 1-year deal. Terms not disclosed.
4 months ago
RoyalsRetro
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1 yr/$875,000
i like this signing. Pena is a solid backup for Perez.
by DickHowser4ever on Jan 16, 2012 3:45 PM EST up reply actions
not the eleven year contract pena was looking for
it’d be nice if the guy would take some more walks.
Wasnt he asking for 11 yrs/leage minimum?
The Royals practically doubled the minimum. He’s probably happy anyway.
i dont remember the story
i thing at some point during the season some talk of pena saying a lifetime contract would be great was going around.
by BeauJackson on Jan 16, 2012 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
Fine with me.
I think we sort of saw this coming.
I'm a 14 year old freshman in high school with a love for all things Royals and Packers.
2012 is the year we shine.
So that means he's our backup catcher unless
Max Ramirez takes it from him? But then we still have to pay him.
What, no...
…luxury suite for his friends, family, and animal rescue foundation donors?
"Sir,--It has been wittily remarked that there are three kinds of falsehood: the first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third and most aggravated is statistics." *The National Observer* (June 13, 1891): p. 93-94.
Tuesday is the deadline to exchange arbitration numbers
There will probably be a few of these announced before tomorrow’s deadline and then a report on the amounts that the team and each player exchanged.
The deal is apparently for $875,000. Arbitration eligible deals are not guaranteed, however, so the Royals could always release him in spring training (by March 15 I think) and pay him only one-sixth his salary (~$150,000).
If there was a left handed alternative I could envision them cutting Pena. But there isn’t. And on a heavy right handed lineup he’d represent the only switch hitter and the only LH bat apart from Maier.
Ramirez and Piña are both righty’s. Piña probably deserves to stay the starter in Omaha.
by WURoyal on Jan 16, 2012 3:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Ramirez is terrible defensively
No way the Royals have him catch in KC.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Yost believes Chino Cadahia will work magic
He’s “really good working with the Latin catchers.”
by WURoyal on Jan 16, 2012 3:29 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
You're using the incorrect defensive metrics if you think Kendall is poor defensively
All defensive measurements start and end with Polk.
Yeah, Pena is perfectly adequate as a backup catcher
Pina’s bat looks like it has career backup written all over it and I thought there was some questions about his defense (along the lines of good tools but questionable execution).
And yeah what Retro said about Ramirez’s catching skills.
I think the general consensus has been that he’s developed as far as game calling skills go.
He’s a career back up. Just wish either Piña or Perez was left handed. Might end up getting traded.
by WURoyal on Jan 16, 2012 3:31 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I've always liked Pena and thought he had a high ceiling
Now I’m just happy with him as an adequate back-up without any glaring weaknesses.
Pena...high ceiling?
I think for whatever reason he’ll bounce back a bit.
Bill James has him performing at .275/.321/.388. Which isn’t bad for a backup catcher at all.
Rough life
Back up catcher = $875,000 a year. That’s weird because I was just on the careers part of kcroyals.com and didn’t see this position open. Discrimination law suit headed their way!
by MVP-Gordon on Jan 16, 2012 3:52 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
WANTED
Position: Backup catcher
Salary: $400,000 – $875,000
Job requirements:
Must be able to sit next to Ned Yost and listen to his baseball knowledge
Must be able to cheer on as teammates succeed
Will require playing 20-30 Major League baseball games per year
Must be able to lift 40 pounds.
Previous qualifications:
Some previous experience playing organized baseball either in an academic setting or professionally. 10-14 years of experience preferred, but not required.
Preference for applicants who have been employed by the Atlanta Braves organization
Skills necessary:
Must have some cursory knowledge in pitch-selection.
Some knowledge in Excel may be required.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
Good signing for both sides
Pena gets a guaranteed nice-sized salary bump (I think his salary last year was 660K), and the Royals can afford to give Pina all the AAA reps he needs and not rush him to the bigs. I like it.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jan 16, 2012 4:14 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Was that during the long Red Sox game
In which Frank White, Ryan Lefevbre, and the entire TV crew decided to follow a bug for a while?
I don't think so
Brayan is a devout Mantinite, those that pray to the God Mantini, who appears to us on Earth in praying mantis form. I believe this picture was taken at one of his religious services – which he of course attends in full Royals uniform.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
by RoyalsRetro on Jan 16, 2012 4:35 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I'm confused... why would the Royals pay him anything more than league minimum? We have catchers waiting in AAA and down who would love to get $500k a year to catch every 4th or 5th day.
MAJOR LEAGUE (The Royals)
Rachel Phelps (Royals Management): I think he'll fit right in with our team concept.
Charlie Donovan (Royals Fans): That reminds me, I was going to ask you. What exactly *is* our team concept?
Pena can hit a bit
Those guys probably can’t.
Also you may want those young guys playing every day to develop as players, instead of sitting every day on the bench.
Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com
What I like most about this
Is that it will hopefully prevent spending more than they needed to on a veteran backup.
I don’t agree with playing Perez all but one day a week like Ned apparently wants to do, but at least there are two acceptable and cheap options if he breaks down.
I Really Did
Look before I posted that fanshot.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
Questions from me to the panel:
1) Why do people think that it’s ridiculous that Perez (or any starting C) play 145 games, if healthy?
2) Am I the only one who thinks Brayan is fucking horrendous defensively? And on Catchers, I don’t give a shit about def metrics. I can see this one just fine.
3) I would rather have a backup C who I don’t have to worry a damn bit about defensively or pitch selection, even if there is not hardly any offense. Is this a leftover old school mentality on my part?
by Rufus R. Jones on Jan 16, 2012 11:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions
if you look at perez as a long term solution behind the plate....
playing 145 games a year is a bad idea…russ martin, jason kendall, etc….it just breaks a guy down….ideally you have a catcher who is a good hitter and can get 100-120 games behind the plate, a few at first/dh when hosmer/butler get days off
Fire Everyone
by billybeingbilly on Jan 17, 2012 12:17 AM EST up reply actions
I don't see why he can't play in 145 games a year.
There is no reason he can’t be a pinch hitter for Pena some days and not have to catch the whole game.
Go Royals!
My responses
1) Not ridiculous, but if he had that workload (145 starts at catcher) every year, eventually that’s going to probably cause him to break down. If he’s good, I’d rather avoid those future injuries (which could be very serious).
2) I think he might be below average defensively, but not genuinely bad and certainly not horrendous. And I’m not relying on defensive metrics here. I’m talking about what I see with my own eyes.
3) The combination of both offense and defense counts for every player in every position and role. Every player’s pluses and minuses count, even the backup catcher. I think Pena is competent defensively and a decent hitter for a catcher. I think he’s clearly the Royals best option for backup catcher.
You may know me as NYRoyal.
by Scott McKinney on Jan 17, 2012 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks for the response
I’m just not a Pena fan, not even for a backup catcher. But I get your points, Scott.
by Rufus R. Jones on Jan 17, 2012 11:46 AM EST up reply actions
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