San Francisco Giants: Who is Ramiro Pena?

 The 2016 season has seen plenty of new faces on the San Francisco roster, and the newest is Ramiro Pena — but who is he and where did he come from?

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Ramiro Pena has started his first game with the San Francisco Giants now that normal third baseman Matt Duffy has landed on the DL with a left Achilles strain. While Duffy may be sidelined for longer than the Giants would like, it provides them an opportunity to test their depth and ensure that they have a backup capable of stepping in when needed.

The Giants’ history at third base has been a mixed bag since Pablo Sandoval‘s departure prior to the 2015 season. Players like Joaquin Arias, Conor Gillaspie and Casey McGehee have spent their fair share of time playing at third, but the job was eventually given to Matt Duffy full-time.

However, when the Giants cut Arias late in 2015, they were in need of an extra backup infielder. They’ve tried other options, but none have fully stuck.

Enter Ramiro Pena.

Born in Monterrey, Mexico in 1985, the 30-year-old infielder has been around since 2005, when the New York Yankees signed Pena from the Mexican League. After several years in the minors, Pena made the opening day roster for the Yankees in 2009.

Pena lost playing time during the year though, to new acquisition Eric Hinske, and later spent time in AAA where he learned the outfield. He received a ring in 2009 with New York and spent the next three seasons splitting time between AAA and New York.  He was eventually designated for assignment in 2012.

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That offseason, Pena represented Mexico alongside Sergio Romo, Adrian Gonzalez, and Yovani Gallardo in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, where Mexico eventually lost in the Group Stage.

The Atlanta Braves then signed Pena for the 2013 season, but he ended up requiring shoulder surgery and only appeared in 50 games for them. 2014 was the first time in several years that he got a full season of work in the majors, seeing 147 AB.

His stats were standard for an infielder at the back end of a lineup, as he had a batting average of .245 and a slugging percentage of .347. He’s not a power hitter by any mean — he has just eight career home runs.

Where Ramiro Pena has carved out his niche, though, is on defense. He excels at nearly every infield position, and teams know him for his ability to flash the leather when needed.

Following the 2014 season, he was designated for assignment once more and opted to test the free agency market instead. He eventually signed with the San Diego Padres for the 2015 season and played the entirety of the season for the AAA El Paso Chihuahuas. He batted .308 and played mostly shortstop.

After a year of no MLB playing time, he decided to not re-sign with the Padres this past offseason. Instead, he signed with the San Francisco Giants following a month of free agency discussions.

The Giants signed Ramiro Pena to a minor league deal, where he started the season in Sacramento with the Rivercats. After playing well, he was called up to join San Francisco as a backup  infielder, which they needed following Matt Duffy’s injury and subsequent stint on the DL.

Next: Giants: June Not So Kind To All

Now here we are. Ramiro Pena, a minor-league contract signee, has quickly come to be a valuable utility tool in the belt of the San Francisco Giants. He has filled the role nicely thus far, and has performed well on offense too.

Of 29 at-bats he’s taken with the Giants in the last few weeks, he’s recorded 12 hits and five RBI’s. Neither number is too shabby for a defensive infielder who has been forced to overcome some tough breaks and by all indications, has become better for it in the process.