"The Tampa Bay Rays' only chance to bring back first baseman Carlos Peña was if he couldn't find a big-money deal elsewhere, and that's exactly what happened late Tuesday as he agreed to a one-year deal with the Cubs.

Introduced as a Cub this afternoon, Pena said it was a "perfect" situation for him to go to Chicago on a one-year deal.

Pena said the Rays "did not express the interest" he expected, so leaving for the Cubs was a "no-brainer."

Pena's agent, Scott Boras, said the Rays were "examining" their situation on Pena, but did not make an offer. "There was nothing to consider from them," he said.

Pena, who made $10.125-million last season, took only a slight paycut after hitting .196, getting $10-million from the Cubs.

And by doing a one-year deal, Peña positioned himself for a chance to improve his value and go back onto the free agent again next season in hopes of landing a multiyear deal.

With Peña gone, the Rays are looking at using either Dan Johnson or Ben Zobrist at first, or going into the free agent or trade market."