Carlos Pena to Rays: Will the First Baseman's Return to Tampa Bay Be Worth It?

From 2007 through the 2010 season, Carlos Pena manned the first-base spot for the Tampa Bay Rays. After a year off to play with the Cubs, he's back. 

A source told ESPN.com that, as of today, Pena has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rays worth $7.25 million. It's a little bit of a pay cut from the $10 million he made last season, but he's back with some of his old teammates and, more importantly, back on a contending team. 

The only question is, was it a good move on Tampa's part? To me, that's an easy question to answer: Yes. 

I'm aware that each year he was with the team, his average dropped down more and more. In his first season he batted .282, and during his last year, he hit a whopping .196. Not exactly All-Star—or even starter numbers—but Pena is worth a lot more than his average.

It's no secret that he's a home-run hitter, and that's exactly what the Rays need at this point in time. Evan Longoria led the team with 31 last year and 99 RBI, but the runner-up to that was B.J. Upton with just 23.

With all due respect to Upton, Ben Zobrist and Matt Joyce, they will all probably live in the 15-to-20-home-run range throughout their careers. That's nothing to hang your head about, but it's not the long-ball threat that the team needs to support Longoria.

By bringing Pena back, they have done just that. Not to mention, it's not just offense they are bringing back, either. Some people tend to forget, but Pena is also a former Gold Glove award-winner and is one of the most underrated first basemen fielding-wise in all of baseball.

Casey Kotchman meant a lot to the team last season with his great play at first, but he really surprised with his surge at the plate as well. It's hard to replace a guy coming off a good season like that, but Pena is just the guy to do it. 

Pena is coming off a season where he hit .225 with 28 home runs and 80 RBI. It's not the ideal numbers for him, but we've seen that he's capable of 40-plus homers a year and a high-.200 batting average. The 80 RBI is almost guaranteed to go up this year because of the difference in people hitting in front of him.

A lineup that puts Desmond Jennings, Zobrist and Longoria in front of him will, hands down, put up more numbers than Starlin Castro, Darwin Barney and Aramis Ramirez. Being back within his old clubhouse in a more free-spirited environment could also loosen Pena back up and bring out the best in him. 

I don't expect MVP-type numbers, but I think a stat line of .270, 35 HR and 115 RBI is definitely reachable for the 33-year-old. His average has never been above .300, so I think it's safe to say that it won't be happening 11 years into his career. The power numbers are definitely reachable, though, and if he shows the patience he had last year—where he drew over 100 walks—then his on base percentage could potentially push the .400 mark as well. 

It's safe to say that a first baseman won't be leading the team in average like last year, but there's a lot to look forward to now that Pena—and his bat—are back in the lineup. The team has been known for unlikely heroes (especially last season), and bringing back one of their own could be exactly what the Rays need. 

All stats are from ESPN.com.