The Bluefish have lost another big bat - and one of the more colorful names in professional baseball - as Wily Mo Peña has been signed by the Padres.

Peña appeared in 39 games for the Bluefish in 2010, hitting .310 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs. Last year he played for the Buffalo Bisons, the AAA affiliate of the New York Mets, where he hit .276 with five home runs and 21 RBIs before being released in June and signing with the ’Fish.

The 28-year-old Laguna Salada, Dominican Republic native was originally signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1998, and was signed by the Yankees’ organization a year later. The Yankees proceeded to ship the 6-3, 215-lb. slugger to the Cincinnati Reds when the Yankees re-acquired third baseman Drew Henson in 2001. The next season, Peña made his MLB debut with the Reds. His best season in the big leagues came in 2004 when he batted .259 with 26 home runs and 66 RBIs for Cincinnati. In 2006 he was traded to the Red Sox for pitcher Bronson Arroyo, and he also appeared in 101 games with the Washington Nationals in 2007 and 2008. Overall, Peña has hit .253 with 77 home runs and 225 RBIs in seven major league seasons.

“We are glad to see Wily make this important stride in his effort to get back to the big leagues,” said Bluefish manager Willie Upshaw. “He was a key piece to this club and we hope he succeeds at the next level.”

The loss of Peña and Jimerson has been soften somewhat by the recent return of former MLB first baseman Josh Phelps and outfielder Tike Redman.