Will Mets Go After Brennan Boesch?

On Wednesday the Tigers released the once-promising Brennan Boesch. As when any outfielder becomes available, the question must be asked — will the outfield-deficient Mets go after him?

Earlier in the day there were reports that the Mets were indeed interested. “Why wouldn’t they?,” correctly asked CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. But later in the afternoon Mike Puma of the New York Post tweeted that he was told interest in Boesch is “marginal.” Knowing Sandy Alderson, that sounds about right.

Brennan Boesch was fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 when he hit .256 with 14 home runs and 67 RBIs. He followed that up with seasons of 16 and 12 homers with 54 RBIs in each year, hitting .283 and .240, respectively. Players are pretty consistent, so you can easily predict what Boesch will deliver in 2013. Will any of the current crop of Mets outfielders hit around .250 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs? Not bloody likely, as Jerry Seinfeld might say in his worst British accent.

The downside is that Boesch is not a particularly good defensive outfielder and he his left handed. The Mets already have those two categories filled, and then some.

Boesch tweaked his oblique (there’s that injury again!) early in Spring Training, and it has apparently hampered him. He was hitting just .188 in exhibition games, so it is understandable why Detroit dumped him.

But Brennan Boesch is only 27 years old. He’s as good or better than anyone the Mets currently have in the outfield. I think he is worth a shot. But that would require some kind of decision from “Stand Pat Sandy,” so it just is not going to happen. Get ready for Duda, Byrd, Baxter and Cowgill — a winning combination if I’ve ever heard one!