The Berroa Saga

It seems the Berroa roller coaster ride is over. On Friday, the Royals traded for Tony Pena, Jr., giving up pitcher Erik Cordier to the Braves.
On Saturday, Berroa was optioned to AAA Omaha. His performance has been in a steep decline since winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2003. That year, Berroa batted .287 with 92 runs scored. In 2006, Berroa batted .234 with a dismal .259 OBP. He walked just 14 times in 132 games.
This spring, the Royals were hoping a renewed off season training regimen would translate into an improved Berroa. That didn’t materialize however, and Berroa is batting just .263 with 14 strike outs and no walks.
In addition to his offensive struggles, Berroa has also struggled in the field. He has seemed to have lost much of his range, and often muffs the easy plays.
GM Dayton Moore’s quote regarding Berroa’s demotion seemed to say it all: “The decision speaks for itself.” The Royals’ patience with Berroa has run out.
In his first game as a Royal, Pena played well, ranging far to his left to make a diving snag on a grounder and throwing out the speedy Rickie Weeks. Pena already has out-walked Berroa, getting a base on balls in his first game.
Pena might not be the final answer at short for the Royals, but many fans agree, he’s gotta be much better than Berroa has been.