Kevin Mench

2013

There was no outlook written for Kevin Mench.

2008

Mench hit .314/.343/.558 against left-handed pitching in 2007. Unfortunately, he was horrendous against right-handed pitching. The Brewers opted to non-tender him in December, making him a free agent as of press time. His days as a starting player appear to be over, though, while his 25-homer campaign in Texas back in 2005 appears to be a byproduct of a favorable hitting environment.

2007

Mench hit just .240 with one home run after coming over to the Brewers in the Carlos Lee trade. He played sparingly in September and it's possible that the Brewers will try to trade him this offseason. The Brewers would like to play Bill Hall in LF and don't really want to use Mench as a reserve.

2006

Nagging injuries will always take a dozen games away from Mench each year, but his numbers when healthy are pretty solid. He's a lock for 25 HR and 70 RBI as long as he remains in Texas, though his second half slump (.235/.300/.382, 9 HR, 28 RBI) took a lot of luster off a first half of .291/.356/.551, 16 HR, and 45 RBI.

2005

Nagging injuries, the most notable a strained oblique, continue to haunt Mench, but he's a productive player when he's in there. Like most, he excelled in Arlington (.299/.365/.571) but his .801 OPS on the road won't kill you either. There's a 30 HR season in him if he can stay healthy. The power is for real.

2004

Not much went right for Mench in 2003. He strained an oblique muscle in spring, and was then optioned to the minors until Carl Everett and Ruben Sierra could be jettisoned. A broken wrist that followed a torrid three-week stretch ended his season in early July, and he ticked off the organization by not playing winter ball. If he gets his at-bats, he'll swat 20 homers. Watch his role this spring.

2003

It was an up-and-down season for Mench (including a 7 HR June and just a .384 slugging percentage after the All-Star break). His plate discipline fell apart after the All-Star break and he'll need to improve if he wants to develop into a .270/25 HR type. The healthy returns of Carl Everett and Juan Gonzalez to the Texas outfield could limit his at-bats if he struggles, as does the acquisition of Doug Glanville.