In their search for outfield help the Mets have acquired Collin Cowgill from the A’s for minor leaguer Jefry Marte.
Cowgill, who went from Arizona to Oakland in last offseason’s Trevor Cahill deal, is 26 years old and has hit just .255 with a .631 OPS in 74 games as a big leaguer.
He put up huge numbers at Triple-A in 2011, but slumped this year and the former fifth-round pick is a career .291 hitter with a .371 on-base percentage and .470 slugging percentage in the minors.
He’s capable of playing all three outfield spots and hits right-handed, so Cowgill has a good chance to fill a bench role for the Mets or perhaps work his way into a platoon gig versus lefties.
Marte is a 22-year-old third baseman who spent this season hitting .251 with a .687 OPS in 129 games at Double-A. He’s yet to crack a .750 OPS in four full seasons, so the price tag for Cowgill wasn’t much.