Detroit Tigers sign Brayan Pena; designate Matt Hoffman for assignment

The Detroit Tigers have signed free-agent catcher Brayan Pena ... according to Brayan Pena:

I knew GOD wouldn't let me down. When he close one door for you , he open another one .. Im a Detroit Tiger and is a BLESSING FROM GOD .

— Brayan Pena (@cuban2727) December 10, 2012

Fake update: Ok, now we have the release from the team and we can drop pretenses:

"We are pleased to add an experienced catcher like Brayan Pena to our club," Tigers President, Chief Executive
Officer and General Manager David Dombrowski said. "As a switch-hitter, he will serve as a solid complement
to Alex Avila as our back-up catcher for the 2013 season."

Pena, who elected to become a free agent in late Nov., spent the 2012 season with the Kansas City Royals, hitting .236/.262/.321 with 10 doubles and two home runs over 212 at-bats. The 30-year-old has hit .251/.291/.355 over the past four seasons in Kansas City, and he owns a career line of .248/.286/.350.

In a related roster move the Tigers designated left-hander Matt Hoffman for assignment. The 24-year-old spent last season with the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, maintaining an ERA of 3.69 over 43 starts. He owns an ERA of 4.09 with 6.7 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per nine innings over five seasons in the minors.