Non-roster outfielder Dustan Mohr, who has three homers for Boston this spring to tie for the team lead, sees the writing on the wall now that Wily Mo Pena has arrived.

01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, March 22, 2006

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As the Red Sox readied to host the Tampa Bay Devil Rays yesterday, their clubhouse was bustling with players in transition.

Newcomer Wily Mo Pena, obtained in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds Monday, was unpacking his belongings and introducing himself to the staff and teammates.

As Pena readied to go stretch and taking batting practice in a Red Sox uniform for the first time, Bronson Arroyo, the pitcher for whom he was dealt, arrived and began gathering his belongings while saying farewell to friends.

Finally, there was outfielder Dustan Mohr, a non-roster player, wondering where he stood after the acquisition of Pena.

Pena pronounced himself "happy to be here." He was told to expect to play all three outfield positions, but there was no mention of first base, which Pena played in winter ball in the Dominican.

"If they need me to play first base, I'd be happy to," said the affable Pena. "When they give me the opportunity (to play anywhere), I've got to make sure to be ready."

Though he struggled in a forgettable inter-league series at Fenway Park last summer (seven strikeouts in 10 at-bats), he looks forward to calling it home.

"You have bad days and good days," he shrugged. "It's a great ballpark. I can't believe I'm here."

Pena's strikeout ratio was the worst in baseball last year, but he worked on making better and more consistent contact last winter in his native Dominican.

With his remarkable strength -- he effortlessly sent balls onto the back field in batting practice yesterday morning -- he doesn't have to worry about power.

"I don't think about home runs," he said. "If I just make contact, I'll hit home runs."

Pena got into yesterday's game as a replacement for Trot Nixon in right field, wearing No. 15 -- last issued to Kevin Millar -- and singled in his only at-bat.

"I haven't seen him play a lot," said manager Terry Francona before the game. "But I know there's a lot of wonderful tools there."

Arroyo, meanwhile, knew it was likely bad news when general manager Theo Epstein's name popped up on his cell phone Monday morning at the pitcher's central Florida home.

"He said, 'I've got some news that you don't want to hear and I don't want to tell you,' " said Arroyo. "We were definitely close, as close as you get to a GM for a player. But this game is a business, man. This is a chess game and we're just pieces on the board, man. That's what players are."

Arroyo signed a three-year deal in January and was told there were no plans to deal him.

"It was definitely a surprise," said Arroyo. "I always knew there was a possibility because I'm a young guy with a pretty low salary ($11.25 million over three years)."

At the time, Arroyo's agents warned him that he was making himself easier to trade to small-market teams, but he expressed no regrets over agreeing to the multi-year deal.

"I still would have done the same thing," he said. "I don't feel like (the Red Sox) betrayed me, but I'm disappointed. I felt like they would keep me."

He'll miss Boston, which he labeled his "second home. It's tough being uprooted. But that's the way the game is."

"It's very difficult to say goodbye to Bronson," said Francona. "But we were in a situation where we were going to send two (starters) to the bullpen. Are we maximizing all of our guys?"

Finally, there was Mohr, whose three homers tie him for the team lead. Two days ago, he seemed in position to win a spot as the Sox' fourth outfielder. Yesterday, he seemed to be a superfluous part.

He had a brief chat with Francona and Epstein yesterday morning in which he made clear he had no interest in going to Pawtucket.

"I didn't sign with the Red Sox to play in Triple A," he said. "I have what I think is a decent résumé the last four years. If I'm not going to be here, maybe I'll be somewhere else. We'll see.

"I had kind of allowed myself to believe I had a pretty good chance of making this team and be a key part of this club. I feel good about what I've done. I don't think I've done anything negative. I took care of the things I could control. I'm just disappointed it's worked out this way. They know I'm disappointed -- I told them that.

"Being a (member of the) Red Sox was always something I wanted the opportunity to do. It's not the end of the world. But it's a big letdown."

The acquisition of Pena, Mohr said, "speaks for itself. It wasn't anything I did. It just put me in a bad situation. I guess maybe a trade is a possibility. It'll just have to play itself out in the next couple of days."

smcadam@projo.com / (401) 277-7340