If the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles seal the deal with Wily Mo Pena, as reported on Monday by Daily Sports Online, it will help the Eagles avoid taking a step back in the power department, but it won't solve all the team's problems.
What Pena, 33, gives the Eagles is a hitter who has already proven he can hit for power in Japan. Last season he led the Orix Buffaloes with 32 longballs, second only to Seibu Lions duo Ernesto Mejia and Takeya Nakamura, who finished tied for the Pacific League lead with 34 apiece, while driving in 90 runs. Pena also ended the year with a .830 OPS. Pena had 21 homers for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in his first season in Japan in 2012 before hitting just one in 2013, when he saw limited action due to injuries.
His addition would be impactful in that it gives Rakuten a replacement for departed slugger Andruw Jones.
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