The Blue Jays and free agent center fielder Michael Bourn have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 33-year-old Bourn was designated for assignment by the Braves late in Spring Training and subsequently released.
Bourn is in the final season of a four-year, $48MM contract that he signed with the Indians heading into the 2013 season. Hamstring injuries began to slow Bourn down early in the deal, however, and Cleveland flipped him to Atlanta alongside Nick Swisher last summer in an exchange of bad contracts that sent Chris Johnson to the Indians. In the event that he surfaces on Toronto’s Major League roster, they’ll be responsible only for paying the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, as Atlanta is on the hook for the remainder of this 2016 salary.
Once a premier defensive center fielder with a roughly league-average bat and enormous contributions on the basepaths, Bourn has posted deflated offensive numbers over the life of his current contract, batting .253/.313/.336. Beyond that, the hamstring problems that have plagued him have also led to diminished baserunning contributions as he enters his mid-30s; Bourn averaged 51 stolen bases per season from 2008-12 (twice topping 60 steals), but he’s stolen a combined 50 bases in 75 attempts since signing with Cleveland.
Bourn provides the Blue Jays with some outfield depth and could potentially unseat current fourth outfielder Ezequiel Carrera at some point. The 28-year-old Carrera has never been much of a threat with the bat (career .257/.307/.346 batting line) and has logged just 742 Major League innings in center field with below-average ratings from Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.
Blue jays don’t strike me as a team that needs fielders
The Blue Jays certainly are not lacking in outfield depth (Bautista, Pillar, Saunders, Pompey, Carrerra, Ceciliani, Brown, and so on). But there is never really such a thing as too much depth in case of injuries, and there is also never a bad minor league signing. I actually quite like this signing even though they are loaded with outfield depth. He is a veteran who is going to be paid the minimum by Toronto and could be a valuable piece off the bench at best, and a good influence to our minor leaguers at worst.
Let the readers know if you ever catch him smilling or being pleasant.
What does Bourn smiling, or not smiling, have to do with anything?
clearly the implication is that he is not a good person to have around the clubhouse.
Assuming that is the implication, I fail to see how not smiling means he is not a good person to have in the clubhouse. Tulo doesn’t smile a great deal, would that also make him not a good clubhouse presence?
Toronto as an organization is very shallow beyond the major league roster. Granted OF is one place with some depth, but Bautista probably needs to shift to first or DH at some point this year since he can’t throw anymore. Having one more MLB-capable outfielder stashed in AAA is good and he’s not going to take at-bats from any particularly notable prospects down there.
Bautista on the trading block! Haha
Adding (possible) late inning defense/depth for a minor league contract…nice low-risk with some upside move.
Slightly pro Bourne…
“roughly league-average bat” with a line of 253/.313/.336
vs. Carrera
“never been much of a threat with the bat” with a line of .257/.307/.346
Steve said he used to be an average hitter. Since signing with CLE, he has put up that line, which is described as “deflated.”
Bourn is the poster child for the really sharp aging curve that speed-only players experience. Once he lost his speed his career fell off a cliff. A caveat for the Hamilton/Burns types. Vince Coleman and Willy Taveras are others whose careers ended once they lost a step.
Wasn’t the “speed ages badly” thing debunked? See http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2011/5/31/2199146/hitter-aging-curves. Or is that different because of the “speed-only” distinction you make (vs. players who are fast but might have other skills)?
Should have kept Revere. Cheaper but yet slower.
The Jays need Bourne for what? ?? Really?