Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times writes that the Devil Rays are close to signing first baseman Carlos Pena to a minor league deal. Tampa Bay wanted him last year too after Detroit released him. The Yankees picked him up but he didn’t get the call. He then exercised his option to become a free agent and signed with Boston. Pena’s best season was 2004, when he hit .241/.338/.472 in 142 games. He’ll turn 29 in May.
Pena will join a contingent of first basemen competing for time in Tampa Bay. They’ve got Ty Wigginton, Greg Norton, Hee Seop Choi, and Elijah Dukes as other possibilities.
