Report: Sox Interested In Kotsay. Can He Help?

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Braves outfielder Mark Kotsay, who has cleared waivers, is drawing interest from both the Phillies and the Red Sox. However,?Kotsay has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block trades to about eight teams. It is unknown which teams are on that list.The Sox are interested in obtaining a left-handed bat since JD Drew could still wind up on the DL due to a herniated disc in his lower back.The 32-year-old Kotsay is batting .289 with a .338 on-base percentage, six home runs and 37 RBIs in 344 plate appearances. Obviously Kotsay is a light hitter, and those numbers are hardly inspiring. His production wouldn't come close to replacing that of Drew, who's been having an excellent year.Kotsay missed all of June due to a lower back strain, but?has?since appeared in 40 of the Braves' 48 games. And he's had a solid August, posting an .856 on-base/slugging percentage, his best month of the season.?Whichever team acquires Kotsay would be responsible for?the balance of his $8 million salary, which amounts to slightly more than $1.5 million.?The Braves asking price is expected to be a mid-level prospect. Kotsay?is?a?free agent after this season.Question: Do you think that Mark Kotsay can help the Red Sox down the stretch? Do his numbers reflect a player who can pick up the slack in the absence of JD Drew? Is there a better option available? Should the Sox look to left-handed hitting PawSox outfielders Chris Carter, or the newly obtained Jason Lane, instead?Carter is currently hitting .293/.352/.519, with 24 HR and 78 RBI.Lane, who hit 26 homers and drove in 78 runs for Houston in 2005, is currently hitting .233/.333/.451, with 18 HR and 56 RBI.?