JUPITER, Fla. • Bumped from the roster to make room for a prospect the Cardinals wanted to protect, Francisco Pena found himself this winter back where he started, which is to say looking for a job where he might not be starting at all.
Yadier Molina’s backup all of this past season and the catcher who edged Carson Kelly for the role a year ago, Pena became a free agent in November when the Cardinals removed him from the 40-man roster. The team’s plan at the time was to turn the backup role over to Kelly, their rising prospect, and try to find starts for him at catcher when possible, realizing they might be minimal.