Another Nat OF... could one be moved......

Nats GM Jim Bowden seems to pick a position and then stockpile players. For awhile it seemed like he had more utility infielders then pitchers now it seems outfielders are his flavor of the day. With today's trade for LHP Scott Olsen and OF Josh Willingham the Nats now have six starting quality outfielders. Willingham is joining Elijah Dukes, Willy Harris, Lastings Milledge, Austin Kearns and Wily Mo Pena....

Pena had season ending shoulder surgery on July 22 and it's believed he'll be 100% ready for spring training. Pena was found to have significant damage to the shoulder which he attempted to play through and while he never used it as an excuse, it had to have impacted his offensive output( source Washington Post).

Regardless of his health Pena was already being squeezed out of the picture and with Willingham joining the mix it appears he's even further down the pecking order. The Nats declined his 5 mil. club option but Pena exercised his 2mil option.

How Pena fits in the Nationals' plans in 2009 remains to be seen because Lastings Milledge is expected to play left field, while Elijah Dukes will play everyday either center or right field. Austin Kearns is also ahead of Pena on the depth chart. source MLB.com

While he hasn't achieved the same success, in my opinion Pena has the potential to be a younger and much cheaper version of Adam Dunn. The 26 y/o right handed hitter has lifetime numbers of .307/.447/.253 in seven major league seasons. While most scouts agree he will mature into an impressive power hitter, many believe he's been slowed due to being rushed to the majors and then riding the bench. Pena was originally signed in 1998 by the Mets while Omar was in the front office, could he end up being the right handed power bat the Mets need, last off-season the two teams were able to agree on a deal.....

Originally signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1998, Peña signed with the New York Yankees about a year later and was traded to the Reds for third baseman/designated hitter Drew Henson and outfielder Michael Coleman in 2001. He made his Major League debut on September 10, 2002. Because he was signed to a major league contract, Peña's path to the majors was rushed, and he ended up becoming a bench player in an already crowded Cincinnati outfield. source Wikipedia