What's to be done about Wily Mo?

As the giant man-child Wily Mo Pena strode to the plate to face O's closer Chris Ray last night with the bases loaded and one out and the Sox needing a run to tie the game, I turned to Kevin from New York and said, "Tito can't let Wily hit here, can he? We need Hinske. Or Cora. Someone who can put the ball in play. Don't we?"

Wily didn't put the ball in play. He put it in the Sox bullpen for a grand slam and a 5-2 Sox lead. Just the way Theo drew it up when he traded versatile journeyman Bronson Arroyo for him last year.

Wily clearly has the potential. But as the saying goes, potential means you haven't done anything yet. And therein lies the problem with Wily Mo.

Theo's thought process was flawless. The Sox have no righthanded power in the system. They had seven starters at the time of the deal. This 24 year old wunderkind was available. Let's build for the future.

The power numbers were eyepopping. Pena belted 45 homers for the Reds in 2004 and 2005, one every 14.4 at bats. Unfortunately, his propensity to swing and miss was just as glaring. He struck out once every 2.8 at bats.

Once in Boston, Wily Mo hasn't gotten the playing time and has only swatted 13 homers, while still creating a vortex with his massive, unproductive swings more times than not.

Wily has to start turning his "potential" into "performance" or he will go the way of several other notable Boston athletes with "all the tools." Do the names Bethel Johnson, Sebastian Telfair or Joe Thorton (before finally realizing his "potential" in San Jose) ring a bell?

You probably won't be shocked to discover that this is all the Yankmees fault. Pena originally signed with the Mets in 1998 but the contract was voided. A year later the Yanks signed him to a major league contract, then traded him to the Reds. With the major league contract wrapped around his neck, Pena was rushed to Cincinnati, never really had a chance to hone his batting eye and is now out of options.

What he really needs is a couple of months in Pawtucket learning how to hit and field without the bright lights of Fenway magnifying every whiff and muff. However that can't happen without any options.

So what is to be done? Play him on a regular basis and hope he figures it out. Unlikely to happen. Plus, where would you play him? Manny and Drew are set. Coco isn't hitting, but tell me you aren't scared to death every time the ball is hit to center when Wily Mo is patrolling out there. At least Coco brings solid and sometimes spectacular defense to the park every day.

There has been some talk about first base, but are you going to sit down Youk or Lowell? Makes no sense.

I think the only answer is to trade the big guy now while he still has some perceived value. Surely Theo can swindle some small market team that needs a DH and would be attracted to his $1.8 million salary and enormous "potential." We could probably get a high level prospect - a catcher perhaps? - that we sorely need. Remember, with the Sox payroll, they can always buy power in the free agent market.

The sad fact is that the high points like Thursday night will be separated by long stretches of strikeout frustration. He will never get enough playing time and even if he does, learning on the job in the American League is not a recipe for success. Maybe if he was in AAAA National League he might have a shot. Unfortunately, he is a born DH so he has to stay in the AL.

Theo needs to cut his losses on this one and see what he can salvage. Short of that, he should call Scott Pioli in Foxboro and see if the Pats need another big tight end.