The Battle For Pena...

Tony Pena was one of the more agile and better-fielding catchers, in his prime, that we have had the pleasure of watching. He is also a coach for the Yankees, with a bright future ahead of him as a manager and possibly more. But this isn't about Pena the elder, it's about Tony Pena's 16 year old son, Francisco, also a catcher, and the next big trophy to be battled for by the Yankees, Mets, Marlins and Braves. He is a prospect in the Dominican, and like Mr. Fernando Martinez before him, his signing would represent a huge addition to the Mets while slamming the door in the face of both their cross-town rivals as well as their division rivals. Pena the elder believes his son possesses a stronger throwing arm then he did at the same age, which is saying a lot. The signing period for international players begins July 2, and it will take more than $1 million to sign the younger Pena, whose brother, Tony Pena Jr., is a SS with the Braves. Let's hope we snag another great young Dominican player, as catching depth is still not very deep in our organization and Pena might be able to be our backstop in 4-5 years, for a long time, especially if he takes after his old man!