Carlos Pena went 6 for 6 today in the Tigers trouncing of the Royals today, including two home runs. However, even with the six hits, Pena's stats are still not impressive. At the end of the game, his BA is .236, his OBA is .315 and his slugging percentage is .459. Those aren't too far off his career averages. At 26 years old, it's unlikely that he's going to develop into a great player. At this point, he comes cheap, but isn't it possible to find a cheap first baseman who can hit? The reality of the situation is that the Tigers are in a pennant race. They have an offensive hole at a position where it's fairly easy to find offense. Should they go for it, just be happy to be close to .500. I always feel that when you have a chance to win, you should take it. Just for example, Marcus Thames is tearing up AAA. Why not give him a first baseman's mitt and see if he can hit better than Pena?

The Tigers are playing better than they probably expected. They can be better by plugging an offensive hole at a place where it's easy to fix. I think they should make a move and keep moving toward the division leaders.