PHOENIX - When A's equipment manager Steve Vucinich jokingly suggested Carlos Peña wear No. 16 this season, the rookie first baseman politely declined, saying it probably wasn't the right thing to do.

Peña, who opted for No. 19, may not want Jason Giambi's old jersey number, but he wouldn't mind the departed slugger's shoes, which he envisions himself someday filling.

``I would love to be the kind of megastar like Giambi,'' said Peña, who was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the East Coast with his family as a teen. ``That's the way I want to be, and I think I'm capable of doing it. I believe in myself. I think I can be there for the A's, and most important for myself, to satisfy my dreams.''

Not even in the A's wildest dreams do they expect Peña, 23, to this season approach the success of Giambi, the 2000 American League MVP.

``He has to show us he can handle himself,'' Manager Art Howe said. ``So far, things are going well.''

Peña is hitting .235 and has struck out seven times in 17 at-bats this spring, but it would take a colossal meltdown in the next three weeks for the left-handed hitter not to win the job, or at least share it with veterans Scott Hatteberg and Olmedo Saenz. Peña is considered superior defensively to those two and Giambi.

Peña doesn't just grasp the enormity of trying to replace a player of Giambi's stature, he embraces it.

``He's very professional already, wise beyond his years,'' said reliever Mike Venafro, who played with Peña at Texas and was part of the big winter deal. ``It's going to be tough for anybody, but I think he's the type of person that can handle that.''

Peña has adapted to extraordinary situations, moving from Santo Domingo to Haverhill, Mass., with his family when he was 14.

Although he didn't speak much English when he arrived in the United States, Peña soon became an honor roll student as well as a star athlete. He compiled a 3.3 grade point average in engineering at Northeastern University before the Rangers took him with the 10th pick in the 1998 draft.

Breaking down language and cultural barriers at an early age gives Peña an edge most foreign-born players don't have and a perspective many U.S. players can't grasp.

``Sometimes I watch my peers from other countries, it's difficult for them to adjust. I did the adjusting 10 years ago,'' Peña said. ``The difficult part is not knowing where you're at and trying to make sense of where you're at and making your life mean something in a totally different scenario.''

Like breaking into the big leagues while facing the inevitable comparisons to one of the game's biggest stars and the franchise's signature personality.

``The fact that a kid has good makeup is part of what makes a player good for the long-term, because there will be tough times,'' General Manager Billy Beane said. ``He's got all the ingredients and the track record to suggest he's going to be an outstanding major league player.''

Peña displayed his maturity last September when he sought out Rangers veterans such as Alex Rodriguez to tutor him on the ways of being a big leaguer on and off the field. This spring, he has adopted outfielder David Justice as a mentor and is always asking teammates questions.

``When you stop learning in this game, you are done,'' Peña said. ``I've got a long way to go.''

Peña (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) isn't big as far as first basemen go, but is used to high expectations.

Since being the MVP in the prestigious Cape Cod League in the summer of 1997, his production has matched the hype surrounding him as one of the top first base prospects in minor league baseball. He has produced 51 home runs, 179 RBIs and a .294 average the past two seasons in the minors.

``He's one of those guys who has been groomed for success,'' said A's outfielder Eric Byrnes, who played with Peña this winter in the Dominican League and played against him the past two seasons in the minors. ``He has that attitude and that confidence that you don't see out of some guys that have spent 10 years in the big leagues.''