Player Profile: Wily Mo Pena

Wily Mo Pena the young outfielder who went un-drafted has become a great commodity for the Boston Red Sox as their fourth OF this year with his burgeoning talent beginning to take form as the more at bats he receives the bigger the numbers he puts up. The surprising OF has been used mostly in CF rather than on the corners as he was used last year in those spots.

He seems to be a product of his surroundings in the fact that he doesn’t rely heavily on his defensive awareness and plays made to get him starts in the outfield as Francona seems to be willing to make a trade off for sub par defensive plays in turn making his lineup far more ferocious with Pena hitting in the late part of the batting order for the most part. Pena has great size as he barrels down on pitches, showing no preference for pitches taken and swung for, adding homeruns for the Red Sox and piling on the strikeouts with great regularity. He has been projected by many to be a formidable presence in the years to come for the Sox or otherwise as he increases his plate presence and awareness laying off the pitches that he can’t hit and taking the occasional walks. I am hoping to see his defense progress as he has a solid arm once he sets himself and throw’s but, just getting used to all three spots at Fenway hasn’t shown to be a monumental task for the 6’4” product out of Laguna Salada in the Dominican Republic. If he can keep the ball in front of him and his 250lbs frame he usually makes smart choices as a five-year still progressing fielder.

Born January 23rd 1982, Wily Modesto Pena is classified as a right fielder whose salary garners him just under two-million after accepting the offer from the BoSox right before he would have had his salary arbitration. Pena can earn an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses: $25,000 each incremental level of at bats amassing over 325, 350, 375 and 475 plate appearances. He made $1.25 million last year, Pena had asked for $2.2 million in arbitration and the team had offered $1,725,000. A quote from GM Theo Epstein stated this “We certainly weren’t afraid to go” (to the hearing), meaning they were going in prepared for arbitration before the last minute deal for one-year. The Red Sox have not had an arbitration hearing since Epstein took over as in ’03.
It seems that they may be able to hold onto him and is the air-apparent to Manny Ramirez if he ever makes up his mind to end his career as a Red Sock or not. But this off-season the Red Sox need to put up the offer for his services as he may have his pick of things in the end. The shock to Pena was that they signed Drew who unexpectedly opted out of the contract he had with the Dodgers to come to the AL East.

Wily Mo’s Transaction summary looks like this, ’98 signed as an amateur free agent with the Mets. ’99 signing voided by Mets, and then signed in April with the Yankees after February’s release from the Mets. March 21st, 2001 came the trade to the Reds for Drew Henson who we all know as the failed Cowboys QB and Michael Coleman.
Almost five years to the day, Pena was traded for the second time to the Boston Red Sox in 2006 for the Red Sox odd man out of the rotation Bronson Arroyo on March 20th.

Pena’s achievements thus far have him making both in 01-02 Class A-All-star team (Baseball America) OF and Midwest League All-Star team (A) Outfielder.

So fans can all see this guy has career potential that will explode when given an everyday job in the Major Leagues, when he was given just over 330+ at bats, he hit more than 25+ long balls and 65+ runs batted in, while increasing his average last season to just over .300, which is no easy feat for an MLB slugger. The outlook is good his contract will be huge and offers will come in I have no doubt, if the Red Sox pass up, on the only a quarter-century old Wily Mo Pena.

Written by Scott Penny