Buster Olney today talks about Carlos Delgado's health problems, and the fact that the Mets need to find a guy who can play first base on a regular basis, if need be.
He runs down a list of possibilities, but it occurred to me...wouldn't it make sense for the Rangers to talk to the Mets about Ben Broussard?
Broussard has had some nice numbers in the past, but he struggled after going to Seattle, and while he apparently was hurt much of last season, I find it hard to believe he's going to be any more than a decent one-year placeholder for the Rangers.
In the meantime, Jason Botts is getting praise from Ron Washington for the way he's handling first base, and Chris Shelton is still in camp.
If the Rangers could get a decent prospect from the Mets -- not an elite guy, but someone along the lines of Eddie Kunz or someone similar -- for Broussard, wouldn't that seem to be the way to go?
You could have Botts and Shelton play first base, and Shelton could be an emergency third catcher, which would allow you to occasionally DH Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Or you could have Botts play first base, Cat spell him occasionally, and have Kevin Mench hand around as a bench bat. Or Nelson Cruz.
That isn't even getting into the fact that Chris Davis looks like he's going to be ready in a hurry, and could be staking a claim to the first base job in August.
I never got the Broussard fascination that the Rangers have. I think he's an interesting reclamation project, but it seems like there are other guys who the Rangers could slot in just as well.
So if the Rangers could move him to a contender -- like the Mets -- who needs a part-time 1B who could become a full-time 1B, and get a nice prospect, I'd be all for it.