Major League Baseball

Pena, Cubs agree to $10M, 1-year deal

Published Dec. 8, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

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First baseman Carlos Pena and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract.

Pena spent the last four seasons with Tampa Bay. He had a down year in 2010, hitting .196 with 28 homers and 84 RBIs, down from a .227 average with 39 homers and 100 RBIs the previous year, when he was selected for the AL All-Star team. His first season with the club was his best, when he batted .282 with 46 homers and 121 RBIs in 2007. The following season, he helped the Rays reached the World Series for the first time.

Tampa Bay won the AL East this year but lost to Texas in a five-game, first-round series, but the Rays appear to be cutting back on payroll. In addition to Pena's departure, setup man Joaquin Benoit agreed to a $16.5 million, three-year contract with Detroit, and Gold Glove outfielder Carl Crawford and closer Rafael Soriano appear set to sign elsewhere.

The one-year deal allows the 32-year-old Pena to become a free agent again after next season.

He joins a Cubs team coming off a 75-87 record and fifth-place finish in the NL Central despite a $146 million opening-day payroll. Chicago was just tied for ninth in the NL with 149 home runs, with only Aramis Ramirez (25), Alfonso Soriano (24) and Tyler Colvin (20) reaching the 20-mark.

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