Royals acquired shortstop Tony Pena Jr. from the Braves RHP Erik Cordier.
Just how many times is Royals GM Dayton Moore going to be able to get away with giving up young pitching for mediocre hitters? Actually, describing Pena as a mediocre hitter is too kind. Pena has a career .253/.285/.335 line in 2,308 minor league at-bats. He did take a step forward last year, batting .282/.312/.359 in 298 at-bats as a 25-year-old in Triple-A, but with no power or patience, that's the top level of his ability. He is a fine defender, but so is Andres Blanco. If the Royals really think Pena is better, then why have they been blowing the 40-man roster spot on Blanco for years? As much as the Royals do need to replace Angel Berroa, this still leaves them with the worst shortstop situation in baseball.