Brayan Pena (29) Days Until Cincinnati Reds Report to Spring Training

Sep 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Brayan Pena (29) is caught in a run down during the first inning against the New York Mets second baseman Dilson Herrera (2) at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

In just 29 days, Cincinntai Reds’ pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training, and one of the players who will make that early trek to Goodyear, AZ, is catcher Brayan Pena.  His Number 29 on our countdown team.  

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The Reds signed Pena to a two-year free agent contract in November of 2013 at a time when it was unclear how good Devin Mesoraco could be in the big leagues, and when Cincy was looking for depth.  As it turns out, Mesoraco is really good, and Pena provides pretty good versatility.

In 2014, Pena found his way into 115 games, including 44 starts at catcher and 45 starts at first base when Joey Votto went down with a quadriceps injury.  In the process, the 32-year-old Pena set career highs for plate appearances (372), hits (88), runs(23), RBI (26) and walks (20).  His rate numbers were not quite as encouraging, and Pena finished with an underwhelming OPS+ of 86.

Still, with his ability to play the demanding catcher position and to spell Votto on occasion, Pena is a good bet to see decent playing time in 2015 while earning $1.5 million.  For the Reds and their fans, Pena may be the type of player we will see more of in the next few years as the team moves from an era of contention to one of rebuilding.

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