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Top Francisco Pena News
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Francisco Pena: Heads to Taiwan
Pena agreed to a contract Jan. 12 with CTBC Brothers of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League, CPBL Stats reports.
The 32-year-old backstop will head overseas for the first time in his career following a 13-year run in affiliated ball. Pena, who most recently spent the 2021 campaign in the Athletics organization, saw big-league action in parts of four seasons from 2015 through 2018. Across stops with the Royals, Orioles and Cardinals, Pena compiled a .216/.249/.311 slash line and five home runs over 202 plate appearances.
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Athletics' Francisco Pena: Sent to minor-league camp
Pena was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday.
Pena was unlikely to make the Athletics' Opening Day squad as a non-roster invitee. He went 5-for-12 with a home run and five RBI in 10 Cactus League games but should begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.
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Athletics' Francisco Pena: Slugs two-run blast
Pena belted a two-run homer in his lone at-bat during Monday's Cactus League loss to the Royals.
A non-roster invitee operating under a split 2021 contract, Pena appears very likely to open the season at Triple-A Las Vegas with Aramis Garcia and Austin Allen ahead of him in the backstop pecking order behind starter Sean Murphy (chest). However, the 31-year-old, who boasts 85 games of big-league experience, could potentially log some time in the majors in the coming season, especially if he's able to produce gaudy offensive numbers in the typically hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League.
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Athletics' Francisco Pena: Gets split contract with A's
Pena signed a split contract with the Athletics on Tuesday that will pay him $600,000 if he makes it to the big leagues during the 2021 season, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Pena's minor-league deal can be triggered into a full MLB deal with a promotion during the 2021 season. He's entering his age-31 season and most recently hit .287/.319/.543 in 68 games at Triple-A in 2019. He last played in the majors in 2018 with the Cardinals.
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Reds' Francisco Pena: Added to 60-man pool
Pena will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.
He is not on the 40-man roster and was in camp on a minor-league contract, but Pena is now eligible to provide catching depth this season. That said, he is at best fourth on the depth chart, so don't look for him to see much, if any, playing time in 2020.
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Reds' Francisco Pena: Signs minor-league contract
Pena signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Saturday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Pena failed to reach the majors in 2019 after making brief appearances in the big leagues over the four prior seasons. The 30-year-old spent time at the Triple-A level for the Cardinals and Giants, where he hit .290/.327/.547 with 17 home runs over 74 games. Given his past major-league experience, Pena will likely serve as a non-roster invitee during spring training.
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Giants' Francisco Pena: Sent to San Francisco
Pena was traded from the Cardinals to the Giants on Thursday for cash considerations, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Pena will provide organizational catching depth for the Giants, who recently promoted veteran backstop Stephen Vogt to the big-league roster. The 29-year-old Pena owns a career .216/.249/.311 slash line across parts of five major-league campaigns (86 games). He'll report to Triple-A Sacramento.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Loses out on backup job
Pena lost the backup catcher job battle to Matt Wieters and can now either accept an assignment to Triple-A Memphis or sign with another team, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.
Pena has an opt-out clause in his contract that allows him to be granted a release in order to sign with another team as Grapefruit League play concludes. Pena had a solid spring at the plate, hitting .278 with a double and three RBI over 18 at-bats. The 29-year-old backstop's agent will now survey the landscape over the coming days to see if there is interest from another big-league club in Pena.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Still in contention for backup role
Pena (oblique), who went 0-for-3 and threw out a runner in his return to the lineup against the Nationals on Saturday, remains in contention for the backup catcher role, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.
The fact Pena returned to action Saturday after an 11-day absence still gives manager Mike Shildt a few games to evaluate him before a final decision, one which the skipper said will be made "within a week." Pena had gone 5-for-14 with three RBI over five Grapefruit League games before his injury, so he'd put together a solid body of work that helped him maintain his candidacy during his absence. Notably, both Pena and Matt Wieters are in the same boat with respect to their contracts -- both have opt-out clauses in their minor-league deals that would allow them to become free agents if they don't make the Opening Day roster.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Checks into lineup
Pena (oblique) will start behind the plate and bat fifth Saturday in the Cardinals' Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.
The Cardinals' choice to use Pena at catcher rather than as a designated hitter in his first spring action since March 5 implies that he's moved past the left oblique strain that sidelined him for a week and a half. The 29-year-old will face a stiff test in his return with three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer on the bump for Washington.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Expects to play Saturday
Pena (oblique) should return to action for Saturday's spring game against Washington, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
As previously anticipated, the 29-year-old backstop will return to spring games over the weekend after recovering from a left oblique strain. Pena was off to a strong start at the dish prior to suffering the injury, going 5-for-14 with three RBI.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Could be back by weekend
Pena (oblique) could be cleared to return to the Cardinals' Grapefruit League lineup by the end of the week, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.
Since suffering a side injury in a March 5 game against the Phillies, Pena has been cleared to resume swinging, suggesting his oblique strain is of the mild variety. The injury has nonetheless damaged Pena's already minimal chances of breaking camp with the big club, as non-roster invitee Matt Wieters looks like the clear frontrunner to emerge as the backup to top backstop Yadier Molina.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Removed with possible side injury
Pena exited Tuesday's game against the Phillies with an apparent side injury, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Pena was removed after wincing and grabbing his side during an at-bat in the seventh inning. He was promptly replaced by Andrew Knizner behind the dish. Pena should be considered day-to-day until he's further evaluated.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Out two weeks
Pena will miss 10-to-15 days with an oblique injury, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Pena suffered the injury during Tuesday's game against the Phillies. A two-week return timeline would still give him a bit of time to get ready for Opening Day, though his chances of breaking camp with the big-league team were reduced when the club signed Matt Wieters in late February.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Drives in two Tuesday
Pena went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Nationals.
Pena struck out in his first at-bat, but responded by producing a double and run-scoring single in his next two trips to the plate. The veteran backstop is expected to compete with Andrew Knizner and Matt Wieters -- who was signed to a minor-league contract Tuesday -- for the team's backup catching gig.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Back with Cardinals
Pena signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Thursday, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports.
Pena will return to St. Louis after appearing in 58 games for the Cardinals in 2018. The 29-year-old hit just .203/.239/.271 and doesn't project as anything more than a backup to Yadier Molina in 2019.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Cast off 40-man roster
Pena was outrighted to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.
Pena appeared in 28 games for the Cardinals in 2018, slashing .203/.239/.271 with two homers and eight RBI. He'll head into spring training without a spot on the 40-man roster.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Laces two-run single in loss
Pena went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in a loss to the Braves on Sunday.
Pena's timely hit in the seventh actually opened the scoring on the afternoon for the Cardinals, giving him his fifth and sixth RBI of the season. The 28-year-old continues to only see occasional starts behind iron man Yadier Molina, so his fantasy value remains extremely limited across all formats.
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Cardinals' Francisco Pena: Retaining larger share of catching starts
Pena will be behind the plate and bat eighth Sunday against the Pirates.
Pena was expected to surrender primary catching duties when Carson Kelly was reinstated from the disabled list May 26, but the former has yet to see his opportunities dry up. With Kelly mustering just two hits in 25 at-bats this season, it appears Pena will continue to retain the top spot on the depth chart until Kelly's bat heats up, though Yadier Molina is expected back this week. With an unremarkable .243/.280/.357 season line of his own, Pena hasn't quite done enough to warrant a roster spot outside of NL-only and deep mixed leagues that start two catchers.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-1, 223 lbs |
| Birthplace: Santiago, DR |
| Age: 35 |
| Experience: 2 |
| Bats/Throws: R, R |