Sherman: Yankees will look into Brennan Boesch & David Cooper

March 13, 2013 by Mike Axisa 40 Comments

Via Joel Sherman: The Yankees will look into signing Brennan Boesch and David Cooper, who were released by the Tigers and Blue Jays this morning, respectively.

Boesch, 27, hit .283/.341/.458 (117 wRC+) with 16 homers in 472 plate appearances in 2011, but last year he managed just a .240/.286/.372 (77 wRC+) line in 503 plate appearances. He’s a total hacker — swung at 39.7% of pitches outside of the strike zone since 2010, the eighth worst in baseball — which is not the type of player the Yankees usually target. Boesch is also a brutal defensive player in the outfield corners. Still, the Yankees need to replace Curtis Granderson for a few weeks and the left-handed Boesch has power, plus he has at least one minor league option remaining. Of course the Yankees should look into signing him.

Cooper’s claim to fame is being a former first round pick (17th overall in 2008). The 26-year-old has hit .270/.310/.441 (103 wRC+) with six homers in 226 big league plate appearances over the last two years while battling various ailments, including a back injury that has kept him out of camp and is so serious it could end his career. He’s likely to rehab in 2013 and eye a return in 2014. Like Boesch he is a left-handed hitter, a poor defender, and has an option remaining. Given the back injury, there’s not much to see here. The Yankees need first base help right now, not next year.

pounder

Yankee Stadium power,speedy CFer to overplay when he is in RF,big league experience,post season experience,decent arm.Oh wait, he’s 27,much too green for this team.LOL. /seriously,I hope they sign him,though the Mets are in on him as well.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  Who are you talking about?
- Bob Buttons
  
  Boesch never played a single major league inning in CF, nor is he anywhere near speedy. He also has less OF assists than Gardner. He has never played a single inning of post-season baseball.
  
  Fork over whatever you’re on, don’t hog it all.
  - Ghost of Joe Dugan
    
    Am I the only one that easily understood what pounder was saying? He didn’t say BB was a CF’er he’s saying that since Gardner is a great CF’er who can cheat toward RF to cover BB’s lack of defensive range.
    - Barry
      
      This is what I thought. lolz
    - MannyGeee
      
      After further review… yes. You are correct. He did “clearly” say a speedy CF to overplay when he’s in RF.
      
      That said, nothing was clearly written there. So you, good sir, are either some sort of mind reader or in collusion with Pounder.
      - Cris Pengiucci
        
        They’re in collusion!! And I must be with them, as I understood at as well (took 2 readings).
        
        Havok9120
        
        I read through it 4 times before responding and it just never clicked. Granted, I was also listening to a lecture on the reign of Justinian II and Constance I, so some user error was involved.
      - paul t
        
        collusion I tell ya….collusion!
    - Bob Buttons
      
      In my defense the only pronouns in that chunk was “him”, and the Mets can sign “him”, thus the first thought is Boesch.
      
      Also is that I don’t think of Gardner as a CF at this point, since he’ll end up back in LF sooner or later (for at least this year).
  - Ryan
    
    I believe he is calling Gardner a speedy CFer, who can supplement Boesch’s lack of range in RF.
- trr
  
  LOL, not sure who this is, but I’d take him!
- Havok9120
  
  0_o
  
  This is among the biggest trollfails of the year so far.
  - Barry
    
    I don’t even see any trolling there. This is one of the biggest troll-sponse fails of ’13
    - Havok9120
      
      Yep, it most certainly is a fail on my part. But nothing in that post is clear at all. It has an age prod, random misplaced punctuation, and some pretty questionable grammar. I’m thinking the general response of “bwuh?” is pretty defensible.
      - Barry
        
        The grammar isn’t perfect; however, this is a blog and proper grammar isn’t a prerequisite nor is it common, either in the posts or the comments.
        
        Havok9120
        
        Are you really trying to argue that this isn’t almost exactly the same template we see from tons of people who just pop in to say something inane and then aren’t seen for months, or are you just being pedantic?
        
        Barry
        
        Just being pedantic. Rare word sir, rare indeed.
      - jjyank
        
        Yeah. I got what he was trying to say, but the phrasing and language use is pretty typical of what you’d see in a troll post.
        
        I’d say the original post was essentially a sheep in a wolf’s clothing.
Herby

Sounds like grasping at straws
- Cris Pengiucci
  
  Yes, but they’re relatively low-risk straws. Not sure I see the value in adding Cooper, due to the injury, but why not take a flier on Boesch?
- Havok9120
  
  Low/no risk straws at a time when there’s really no better/sensible alternative. *shrug*
MannyGeee

I’d roll with Boesch and send him down with his minor league option, I guess. It’s a glorified minor league contract, so why not.
- Barry
  
  Plus it was only 2011 when he had a 117 wRC+ in 115 games. Could be a decent pick-up if he’s used correctly. Probably will end up on another team where he sees a greater opportunity and a weaker division.
  - Havok9120
    
    That’s my thinking as well. I have to think there are less competitive jobs open on the market.
    - Barry
      
      That would be my guess, the organisation has to look crowded to anyone else walking in. Plus not many people are going to want to go play in the AL East to rebuild their value, especially a young player like Boesch. Plus I don’t really know if he would win a job at this point.
Steve T

Didn’t the Tigers cut Boesch ’cause he hurt his oblique? Um… pass.
ClusterDuck

“Boesch… He’s a total hacker — swung at 39.7% of pitches outside of the strike zone since 2010, the eighth worst in baseball — which is not the type of player the Yankees usually target. Boesch is also a brutal defensive player in the outfield corners.”

No thanks.
steves

To all you Dylan fans out there, Cashman is turning into the modern day baseball version of AJ Weberman; no pile of “garbage” (Cashman’s own words!)is beyond probing.
ClusterDuck

Cashman is under a lot of pressure to act. Thus the dumpster diving.
- Havok9120
  
  Well, that and the whole “these guys might actually improve the team” thing.
- Barry
  
  Fear-monger-er.
jjyank

I’d take a flyer on Boesch. Why not? Cooper is interesting, but if he can’t play right now, I wouldn’t bother.
- Barry
  
  Wut about teh kidz?
  - jjyank
    
    Heh. Hell, Boesch is younger than Mustelier.
Jersey Joe

New pope!
- Manny’s BanWagon
  
  More interested in finding a replacement for Teix and Grandy.
  - Havok9120
    
    Your loss. Two days is quick. Probably means none of the more peripheral papabili got it.
- RAB rules
  
  unless he hits above the mendoza line, no politics or religion please
  - Havok9120
    
    You understand that that isn’t really a rule, right? And that it certainly isn’t enforced. “No politics” was only for during the back end of the election cycle because the debating got out of hand.