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Former Oakland A’s catcher Francisco Pena staying in CPBL

By David Hill

TAOYUAN, TAIWAN - NOVEMBER 06: Catcher #4 Francisco Peña of CTBC Brothers hitting at the top of the sixth inning during the Taiwan Series game two between CTBC Brothers and Rakuten Monkeys on November 06, 2022 in Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Taoyuan, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images)
TAOYUAN, TAIWAN - NOVEMBER 06: Catcher #4 Francisco Peña of CTBC Brothers hitting at the top of the sixth inning during the Taiwan Series game two between CTBC Brothers and Rakuten Monkeys on November 06, 2022 in Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Taoyuan, Taiwan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images) /
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Francisco Pena has joined the ranks of former members of the Oakland A’s organization to head overseas.

This time, he is set to return to the same organization. According to reports, Pena has re-signed with the CTBC Brothers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

Francisco Pena may have found a home with CTBC Brothers

Pena has not seen major league action since 2018 when he was given an extended look as a possible backup for Yadier Molina. He struggled to do much with that playing time, posting a .203/.239/.271 batting line with two homers and three doubles in his 142 plate appearances, striking out 43 times with just six walks. While that is not the largest sample size, it is also by far the most action he has had at the major league level.

Since then, Pena has bounced around, spending time in the Giants, Reds, and A’s organizations before he headed to the CPBL. He may not have had a strong showing with the bat, as he posted a .255/.292/.340 batting line with five homers and seven doubles in his 274 plate appearances, but he proved his value in other areas. Pena won a Gold Glove and was named to the Best Ten at catcher.

Given those accolades, and what he meant to the team in every facet, it is understandable why the Brothers would have wanted him back. It is also possible that he has finally found a home after years of moving from organization to organization and can become a fixture in the CPBL for the next few years.

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Francisco Pena may have finally found a home. The former Oakland A’s farmhand is back with the CTBC Brothers for a second consecutive year.