Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Eight years after he fled Cuba, Brayan Pena still chases an elusive dream.

Seven years after he hit .370 in rookie ball, five years after being called the best defensive catcher in the Braves organization, three years after his major league debut ... he's still fighting for a job.

Childhood friend Yunel Escobar, who Pena once hoped could join him in Atlanta, has sailed past him into prominence as the Braves' new shortstop. Pena competes for a bench job, one that seems unlikely.

So how does he remain so resolutely upbeat? How does the switch-hitter who's been moved from catcher to utility man and now (maybe) back to catcher, maintain such a sunny disposition?

"I didn't have anything in Cuba," said Pena, 26. "Now I'm blessed to be with the Braves and to be in the United States, a country I love. I'm a citizen. I have my family here, my mom, dad and granddad, my two brothers and two sisters. There's nothing else I can ask for."

He was on the field working on throws from behind the plate Monday at 8 a.m., before many Braves had even arrived at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

"You can't outwork the kid," said bench coach Chino Cadahia, who is also Cuban. "He is tireless."

The Braves have two-time All-Star Brian McCann entrenched at catcher. They signed former star Javy Lopez as a top candidate for the backup job. They traded for veteran Omar Infante as their primary utility man, and have prospect Brent Lillibridge and Martin Prado as utility candidates.

There doesn't appear to be a spot for Pena, but he keeps plugging away, trying to make the Braves at least face a tough decision.

He is out of minor-league options, which means he can't be sent back to the minors without clearing waivers. If he doesn't make the team, the Braves might have to trade him. Either that, or try to sneak him through waivers late in spring when most teams have rosters set.

Braves bullpen coach Eddie Perez, a former catcher, sees a lot of himself in the youngster. Pena has a .303 career average in the minors, but just 113 at-bats and a .221 average in parts of three major-league seasons.

Perez believes Pena's talent and likeable personality will keep him in baseball for a long time, in some capacity.

"I love the kid; everybody likes him," Perez said. "He's always smiling, always working hard. And it's hard to see him battling for a job after all these years. As a player I tried to be like that — always work hard, be nice to people — so I look at him like a son."

While the Braves were busy this winter making personnel moves to shore up the roster, Pena was busy winning the Most Valuable Player award in the Dominican Winter League. No, the guy's not some stiff still hanging on with the Braves just because people like him. He can play.

He hit .288 with three home runs in 41 games in winter ball, and finished second in the Dominican league in doubles (nine), third in RBIs (26) and third in extra-base hits (13). He always had good speed, and a slimmer Pena stole six bases in seven attempts in winter ball.

But what he was particularly proud of during winter ball was his defense, which he focused on after a discussion with Cadahia the last weekend of the 2007 season when the Braves were at Houston. He threw out 13 of 33 would-be base stealers in the Dominican, second-best rate (39.4) in the league.

"He has always worked extremely hard," Cadahia said. "It's taken a little bit of time for him to trust his ability and get him to be what we call 'quiet' behind the plate, to not be jumpy back there. But he's got the ability. Early on [in his career] he was afraid of making mistakes.

"Winter ball [success] has helped him. ... I think he's going to play for many, many years to come, and hopefully it will be here. He's a wonderful kid, a pleasure to be around."

Pena began the 2007 season as the Braves' backup catcher, but went on the disabled list May 2 with a concussion after being hit on the head by a bat on a swing follow-through. He was optioned to Class AAA Richmond two weeks later and spent most of the season there playing five positions.

He was told at the time that utility man was his new best bet at sticking in the majors, and Pena didn't complain. He just did the job and hit .301 in 94 games as a utility man, the third consecutive season he hit over .300 for Richmond.

"There are thing in baseball you can't control," Pena said. "All you can do is give 100 percent, represent your team the right way, on and off the field. I do that, and I feel proud of that.

"Whatever the Braves want me to do, I do it. I've never complained, and I'm not going to. This is the game I love, and I'm blessed to be here."